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This paper aims to explore challenges and opportunities for Australian local governments (LGs) in governance of climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) integration.

The paper identifies three Australian LGs which are subjected to potential climate change-related hazards. Semi-structured interviews with staff officers of the selected LGs and supporting organizations have been conducted to collect and analyze primary data.

The findings reveal that emerging challenges in governance of CCA and DRR integration include the political sensitiveness of climate change, uncertainty and standstill because of the vagueness by higher government levels, competing interests between LGs’ departments and communication breakdowns because of scepticism and the use of jargon. Meanwhile, the findings reveal that emerging opportunities include the promotion of participation mechanisms in planning, the creation of partnerships with local stakeholders and the use of coordination organizations and platforms. Exploring these challenges and opportunities represents a key step to strengthen governance mechanisms at a local level.

The paper is based on a limited number (3) of Australian case studies with a limited number (15) of interviews. Further insights could be gained by analyzing more Australian LGs, involving a higher number of participants, and by using complementary research methods and data (survey and questionnaires) about experiences of other local stakeholders.

The paper is one of the few exploring challenges and opportunities of Australian LGs in governance of CCA and DRR integration in Australia and discusses them in terms of the potential to strengthen governance mechanisms within Australian LGs.

The Asia‐Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum has only recently included investment liberalization on its agenda. A review of actions since the Bogor declaration of 1994 reveals that critical components of an investment liberalizing strategy are already being assembled within APEC. For example, an investment experts group has been meeting regularly and it has undertaken work on impediments to investment and on implementing the non‐binding investment liberalizing procedures endorsed by members at Bogor in 1994. Investment is also now a required component of each member's annual individual action plan. It would be useful to formalize this process and then move towards adoption of the rules‐based investment provisions of NAFTA, especially the national treatment principle. Then the process developing within APEC to liberalize investment as well as trade by 2020 would help to speed up the economic integration of APEC.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how culture, influenced by the project setup and contextual issues, impacts on information and communication technology (ICT) engagement, through a multiple perspective approach to cultural assessment. A “cultural lens” is used to understand the level of ICT engagement in project organisations.

Cultural analysis (CA) is employed as the overarching research methodology. The CA investigates the conflicts between the “espoused values” and “actual beliefs” of members to understand culture. A pre‐existing CA framework with established “espoused values” for ICT implementation is used in this study. Ethnographic interview in a case study setup is employed to extract actual cultural beliefs. These beliefs are then analysed through the CA framework to explain cultural environment and its impact on ICT implementation.

The ICT‐related behaviour of the project team members is contextual to a project environment. This implies that effective ICT adoption requires careful consideration of the cultural traits in the design and implementation phases. It is suggested that neither a simple linear prescription nor overlooking specific contextual aspects is beneficial for effective ICT implementation.

This paper contributes in developing an understanding of: how CA framework through deciphering “espoused values” and “actual beliefs” can assist in studying organisational issues; and how the contextual issues shape the culture in a project organisation leading to “integrated” or “fragmented” ICT implementation.

Although the deployment of information and communication technology (ICT) in the construction industry is widespread recent research indicates that the surrounding contextual issues hinder its successful application in many project settings. This paper aims to develop a framework for the analysis of organisational culture in respect of ICT implementation across an organisation in the construction industry.

An re‐analysis of critical success factors (CSF) for ICT integration, identified through data from a Delphi study of industry experts and a questionnaire survey of ICT users, using Martin's three‐perspective framework applying both the functional and non‐functional approaches to cultural analysis was conducted.

The research revealed the theoretical dimensions and properties of organisational culture that influence CSFs for ICT integration in construction projects teams. This paper concludes by highlighting the influence of the organisation's culture, manifested though the nature and extent of shared understanding, on the likely success of ICT implementation.

The deployment of ICT without appropriate consideration of contextual issues, in particular, organisational culture, will be likely to generate disappointing results. The framework presented in this paper provides a rigorous foundation for consideration of such issues.

The purpose of this paper is to report upon a doctoral thesis within the context of temporary project organisations that was driven by the question: “what really influences decision makers when considering whether or not to adopt an innovation?” This paper describes the philosophy, methodology and findings of the study, and illustrates the usefulness of the findings for application in construction and other project‐driven industries.

The attitude of decision makers is discernible in their behaviour, which is an observable phenomenon. It has been observed from outside using a Delphi study of “experts”, providing an etic perspective, and reported upon first‐hand through multiple in‐depth interviews with “experienced practitioners”, thereby providing an emic counterpoint. Both perspectives have been further abstracted to develop a synthesised model of the attitudinal profile of information and communication technology (ICT) decision makers in the construction industry.

The adoption of innovative ICT‐driven business practices by a firm is determined in large part by the attitude of the decision maker, which changes over time, in response to technological push and cultural pull. Moreover, attitudes can be mapped against three exogenous issues: human, business process and technological. At the heart of these lies a domain of endogenous issues that are personal and, therefore, unique to the individual decision maker. All of these issues have an intra‐firm and inter‐organisational dimension, and these vary in response to the context within which they are considered.

Successful use of ICT in a temporary project organisation context requires consideration and accommodation of the attitudes of the various project team members. This may entail preparatory auditing of trading partners using an appropriate diagnostic tool.

The attitude of decision makers has not previously been mapped in relation to ICT innovation adoption. Moreover, it is likely that with innovation‐specific modification the model will be applicable to other innovations deployed in a similar context.

This study provides evidence regarding the performance of bank holding companies (BHC) following a series of deregulatory measures by the United States Congress. To compare performance of commercial banks before and after expanding their operations to nonbank functions, a set of hypotheses addressing BHC risk and return characteristics are proposed. Empirical results are mixed. Total risk dropped after expansion. Market risk, on the other hand, rose substantially in post‐expansion time. When returns are adjusted for risk, a marginal improvement in performance is achieved.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of an appropriate investigative mechanism deployed to uncover the link between individual attitude, consequent decision making and development of group culture, and their impact on the use of information and communication technology/building information modelling (ICT/BIM) across a temporary project organisation (TPO).

The paper develops a protocol and conducts a case study of a specialist subcontractor associated with the design and construction of an engineered facade operating in a specific TPO. It adopts a phenomenological perspective, utilising ethnographic data collection techniques and constructivist analysis/abstraction.

Differentiation resulted in impaired e‐business activity; however, there was a positive impact on the overall project outcome. This was attributed to the positive cultural traits demonstrated by the specialist subcontractor. Individuals' attitudinal traits develop over time through personal experiences and interaction with others. These traits are transportable and potentially infectious, as in this case, where the result was beneficial to the stakeholders.

The paper describes the successful implementation of an appropriate investigative protocol to chart the links between the beliefs and actions of individuals in relation to ICT/BIM, and the consequences for TPO culture and the project as a whole.

This paper aims to identify the extent to which dimensions of trust are reflected in the functional description of the role of a project manager as outlined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK).

The literature is used to identify trust dimensions that have the potential to impact on the conduct of a project. These are then assembled into a theoretical framework, which is then used to drive a thematic analysis of the project manager's role as described in PMBOK. Similarities are confirmed, and absences identified and explained in the context of the literature.

The fourth edition of PMBOK is the first to make overt reference to the concept of trust. Detailed analysis of the text reveals that although certain trust dimensions are recognised they are dealt with in general terms, as desirable characteristics within the project environment rather than specific facilitators or actions in relation to the conduct of project.

PMBOK is the most widely recognised standard for the conduct of project management, and as such has achieved wide acceptance as defining the project manager's role. It recognises trust as playing a part in the successful management of projects. However, fostering trust is central to the art of project management, and requires greater consideration than indicated by PMBOK.

This is the first critical analysis of PMBOK in relation to trust.

Public‐private partnerships (PPPs) and other innovative procurement mechanisms are frequently used to deliver both an asset and a public service over a protracted period. The value streams to the parties involved can be complex, but generally arise from the satisfactory provision of infrastructure that is fit for purpose throughout its life. This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of the facility management (FM) function in delivering long‐term value to both the client and consortium.

This paper describes a case study of a PPP in Australia that delivered social infrastructure in multiple locations to a state government. Drawing upon multiple perspectives from within the consortium, it utilises inductive principles to identify the influences on value generation through innovation by the FM function.

The ability of an Australian FM contractor to provide value within a PPP context has been shown to reflect some of the attributes described in literature. However, the extent of innovation, especially in the design and construction phases, has been limited by organisational history and capability, and relational and contextual issues.

This research highlights a flaw in the rhetoric relating to PPP delivery, namely the disconnection between the asset delivery and service delivery phases, which stifles the consortium's capacity to innovate and maximise value. It reveals a set of influences that both resonate with the literature and plausibly explain the suboptimal performance of the FM function within an Australian PPP. By using highly iterative analysis leading to within‐case generalisability, it provides a robust basis for wider investigation of the problem.

There has been a significant increase in the use of relationship contracting in the global construction industry, with strategies such as Partnering, Alliancing and Public-Private Partnerships all used. These approaches were introduced to the Australian construction industry in the 1990s in an attempt to overcome the adversarial nature of traditional contracting methods. The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors that influence the successful implementation of Project Alliancing by means of a case study approach focusing on the procurement of a large water treatment plant. The research findings identify critical success factors (CSFs) both from literature and the case study project.

The research traces the origins of Alliancing and identifies CSFs by reviewing literature and analysing a current case study project. The paper first identifies CSFs on a global scale by establishing a theoretical framework of CSFs and then compares this to the case study project. A case study of an Australian Alliance project is investigated whereby a semi-structured interview process, involving senior managers from the six partners from the Alliance, was used in conjunction with a review of project documentation. The findings of the case study project are compared to the literature and any new CSFs are identified.

Alliancing helps to establish and manage the relationships between all parties, remove barriers and encourage maximum contribution to achieve success. Alliancing provides a project delivery method that promotes open communication, equality and a systematic problem resolution process. Team culture focusing on an “open book/no blame” approach is vital to the success of an Alliance. Five CSFs were identified as specifically influencing the success of the case study project: the use of an integrated Alliance office; the staging of project and stretch targets; establishing project specific key performance indicators; facilitating on-going workshops; and the integration of a web-based management programme.

The research findings assist both public and private sectors by identifying factors that are critical for success in Alliancing. Five additional factors were identified as specifically influencing the success of the case study project. Since this research was conducted, Australia has seen a further increase in relationship contracting where the likes of Alliancing is often used as the default approach for certain Public Sector projects. Ongoing research into Alliancing is vital to ensure the development of sustainable procurement models, successful operational viability, fair risk distribution and value for money.