Identifying driving factors of construction megaproject success based on three Chinese cases

Abstract

This study focused on driving factors of construction megaproject success (CMS). To be specific, a mixed methodology, mainly including literature review, case study, and inductive method, was employed in this research to identify a total number of 12 driving factors based on three representative cases, namely Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail, Three Gorges Dam and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. The 12 driving factors for CMS are as follows, including Political Environment, External Supervision, Corporate Reputation, Social Environment, Project Culture, Project Organization, Project Management System, Project Goals, Strategies of Participants, Leadership, Commitment and Devotion of Individuals, and Accumulation and Innovation of Technology. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in three aspects. First, this study adopted an inductive method and events collection were from open resources, such as books, governmental reports, newspapers and official websites, which has been relatively used before. The research outcomes via such a method might be more comprehensive and objective. Second, this research identified 12 driving factors for CMS, and these findings can help industry professionals to manage megaprojects in a more effective way and improve the possibility of success. Third, this paper systematically reviewed and researched the driving factors of megaproject success, and research results could enrich existing theory of megaproject management and pave the way for further research on megaproject management in the construction industry.