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Essentially, performance evaluation is a human behavioural phenomenon involving a cognitive perceptual process. Project performance has two attributes, at least: (1) the individual's expected performance (manifested as assigned goals); and (2) the individual's perceived actual performance. Evaluation comprises the comparison of these two attributes. The present paper develops a research model for project outcome evaluation designed to examine the effects of the two moderators, goal commitment and project complexity, on the perceived project performance of project participants. It is postulated that: (1) there is a positive monotonic relationship between goal difficulty and performance, but that this is moderated by project complexity; (2) difficult goals lead to higher performance, but that this will happen only when the project participant is committed to the goal; and (3) the transferability of critical success factors to enhance/improve the performance of subsequent projects has to be examined and applied in the light of the effects of these two moderators on project performance.

Researchers have written extensively on the partnering approach in project procurement. Some emphasize it as a process, i.e. how it works in terms of the project structure, signing of agreements, etc., and others emphasize the nature of the partnering culture dimensions, i.e. how it works in terms of operating in trust and harmony. It is postulated that the Confucian concept of self‐cultivation is central to the development of the values of trust and harmony. Western perspectives on the partnering culture are relatively abundant in writing; the intention of this paper is to complement existing literature with an Eastern perspective to develop a behavioural model of partnering. This paper examines the partnering dimensions and postulates that an understanding of (1) the Eastern concept of self and self‐cultivation, and (2) the central role of goal setting at strategic and project levels will enhance goal attainment in partnering.

This paper supplements and extends consideration of quantitative models with application to building (costs and) prices by examining human elements inherent in modelling. In considering the concepts of modelling, attention is focused on the recently developed sociology of science, which questions the traditional perspective of total separation of a reality from the observer—the ‘objective’ basis of scientific positivism. It is argued that human activities are fundamental in, and inseparable from, reality and so, they are integral in modelling. The aim of modelling should be to enhance understanding and knowledge rather than to secure inert objectivity. Application to modelling of prices of building projects investigates how prices are formulated, which prices are commonly modelled and the impact of the decision‐makers involved. It is concluded that new models are required, perhaps developed through methodological pluralism, which identify people‐oriented variables and assumptions explicitly. Further, the models should be stochastic and with sound bases in theories of economics and human behaviour to ensure that users are aware of the major variabilities in the processes modelled and so, by realistically informing, promote better decision making.

This paper proposes a conceptual framework underpinning the conflicting key elements in analyzing sustainable development (SD) of real estate property and the environment.

The key elements in the framework are the economic, the socio‐environment, the socio‐economic and the legal systems which represent different competing values.

The competing values framework encompasses the development of environmental legislation and other governmental policies towards environmental sustainability of construction activities. The competing values which direct policy‐making are modelled as short term (resource exploitation) versus long term (resource sustainability) and flexibility (freedom in land use/development) versus control (planning and building laws). As people attain harmonious outcome (intra‐ and inter‐group) in arriving at consensus and directions towards “SD” they do so as members of a complex social organism that has multiple group memberships, interests and loyalties.

As loyalties and interests shift, harmony is in transit, and directions of actions and attitudes change as a function of time. The choice of (potentially conflicting) attainable goals towards SD is a consequence of power play amongst stakeholders.

The paper is important in highlighting the main issues in conceptualizing key conflicting elements in the formulation of policies for SD.

A definition of harmony relating to social exchanges and cultural settings with emphasis on dynamic equilibrium is proposed for the formulation of “SD” policies.

The research objectives are to investigate the perception of work empowerment of quantity surveyors and to determine whether perceived work empowerment is an antecedent of commitment.

An exploratory study amongst quantity surveyors in four different types of construction industry organisations in Hong Kong is conducted. Data are collected by use of established questionnaires, yielding 136 valid responses.

Organisational commitment comprises dimensions of effectiveness and continuance. It is found that when the perception of work empowerment increases, organisational commitment increases accordingly. Work empowerment is related to affective commitment rather than continuance commitment. Professional qualification and nationality are positively correlated with both dimensions of organisational commitment. Chinese chartered quantity surveyors show more commitment to their organisations. Generally, male QS shows less continuance commitment and the longer the QS has worked for the organisation (particularly in consultancy firms), the less continuance commitment one has.

The regression analysis supports the relationship of commitment and work empowerment. Work empowerment enhances self‐efficacy and, through motivation and commitment, leads to increased performance and effectiveness.

Construction conflict should not be simply defined as a functional or dysfunctional element in the management process. The second generation conflict management investigates the effect of various conflict types and conflict resolution strategies to project outcomes in detail. The paper aims at investigating the complicated construction conflict management within the goal setting process in construction projects.

In order to collect the generalized data from the construction professionals in the industry, a questionnaire survey was considered suitable for establishing the component elements of research variables. Samples were randomly selected from membership records of various professional institutions in Hong Kong with direct experience in the project management processes involving the client, project manager and other project team members, and they must have experience in a (perceived) successful project. A total of 75 questionnaires were fully completed and returned finally.

The findings in the questionnaire survey indicate that moderate level of conflict can improve satisfaction until a certain point whereby the satisfaction diminishes as conflict escalates. To yield an optimum level of satisfaction, conflicts have to be stimulated in the goal setting process and solved among the project participants by adopting the integrated style, neutral attitudes towards emotional‐rational dimension and task‐relationship dimension of conflict.

This study cannot definitively state the causal direction of the hypothesized relationships. Further research such as case studies and qualitative data analyses are recommended in order to investigate these causal relationships as is relevant to construction projects.

Integration is the most appropriate method for solving construction problems, as it concerns both self and others in the management process. Project participants have to balance their conflict resolution approach between the task and relationship and their subjective emotion with objective rational system for solving conflicts when using integration style.

The study shows that both conflict and conflict resolution in the goal setting process are essential components influencing the final outcome (satisfaction) and that solving conflict using the integration style would mean arriving at the best value (goal) in the decision process as well as improving the level of participant satisfaction

This paper seeks to examine the integration of the Western concept of dynamic equilibrium and wa, the Eastern concept of harmony, and how wú wéi (maintaining centrality, hence, stability, in a dynamic environment) is fundamental to the sustainable development of the library system in a harmonious manner.

The Western concept of self and the Chinese Taoist concepts of change and stability are used to examine the role of the human being – the librarian – in the constantly evolving environment.

The paper finds that four competing values faced by the librarian are based on the needs to adopt internal focus, external focus, flexibility and control. The four competing values generate issues confronting the academic librarian. Frustration – what challenges and pressures do academic librarians currently face in the university environment specifically? History and destiny – what lessons can the history of libraries in universities give us about their future role in the scholarly community? Constraints – what are the possible environmental barriers which might prevent librarians working dynamically in parallel with or ahead of university “strategists”, to secure their vision as key players in tomorrow's academy? Conflicting forces from library stakeholders are analysed in a competing values model which encompasses the elements of organisation systems and organisational culture.

The competing values framework provides the basis for formulating a research agenda to investigate the central role played by university libraries in the societal development of human‐kind.

This paper investigates perceptions on ethics amongst surveyors working in Hong Kong. Objectives of the study are to develop an organisational ethics model, to examine the dominant and significantly different ethical climate and culture types amongst private‐ and public‐sector organisations that employ surveyors, and to determine any effects of the existence of ethical codes. It is postulated that ethical behaviours have an impact on the final project outcome. The empirical work is of survey design and the data are analysed using principal component factor analysis, correlation and analysis of variance. The results yield a number of factors and the strength of factors present differs between public and private organisations with a large number of respondents indicating uncertainty of the presence of ethical codes.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of personal values on students’ learning behaviours. Hong Kong construction students are often criticized, by both practitioners and educators, as rote learners. To improve students’ learning processes, extensive research on a variety of aspects of construction education has been conducted. However, limited attention has been paid to the influence of personal values on students’ learning behaviours. The impact of personal value factors on the learning approaches of Chinese construction students in Hong Kong is investigated.

A questionnaire survey was conducted to ethically Chinese construction students in four universities in Hong Kong. A total of 820 questionnaires were distributed and 431 valid returns were collected.

The survey identified six influential values (namely, personal integrity, conservatism, determination, discipline, interpersonal relationships, and achievement), and shows that students who emphasize the virtues of personal integrity, determination, and a positive attitude toward achievement are better able to handle their interpersonal relationships, which will eventually lead them to engage in deep learning.

Work to develop appropriate value systems is thus recommended in freshmen courses, as is the use of cooperative learning approaches. Such value systems will have a long-term influence on the learning approaches of construction students.

In recent years, China is exerting effort to improve the performance effectiveness of its construction industry. This paper aims to report a preliminary study on organisational culture of five selected construction enterprises from different geographical locations in China and to discuss a framework for developing effectiveness measurement criteria for Chinese construction enterprises.

The research approach focuses on the culture profiles of the selected enterprises which have similar size, number of employees, general reputation (in terms of quality of construction), business type (building works) and tax bracket. The measuring instrument of organisational culture is adopted from previous tested research.

It is found that the hierarchy culture is dominant in four cases; Shantou in the Special Economic Zone is the exception. The Shantou enterprise has a market culture and Shantou was one of the first regions to embark on economic reform. Further analysis is required of the spread of the culture profiles in terms of geopraphcial regions and developmental stages of the construction enterprises in China.

The result of the five case studies is indicative of the presence of the dichotomy in hierarchy – market culture dominance. Evaluation of operational effectiveness of such organisations must depend on their developmental stages in line with their stated objectives, and a framework for effectiveness measurement is proposed.