TY - JOUR
T1 - Fuzzy Evaluation of the Factors Contributing to the Success of External Stakeholder Management in Construction
AU - Oppong, Goodenough D.
AU - Chan, Albert P.C.
AU - Ameyaw, Ernest E.
AU - Frimpong, Samuel
AU - Dansoh, Ayirebi
N1 - Funding Information:
This article is based on a Ph.D. study into external SM at the planning stage of construction projects in Ghana. Hence, some literature and scope/objectives will be shared with other publications emerging from the same study. The authors greatly appreciate the Hong Kong Polytechnic University for funding the research through the postgraduate scholarship. Again, the authors are grateful to the practitioners and academics who contributed in diverse ways to the study. Particularly, Mr. Robert Quansah-Opirim is acknowledged for helping to collect the research data in Ghana.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
PY - 2021/11/1
Y1 - 2021/11/1
N2 - The study focuses on evaluating the factors contributing to the success of external stakeholder management (SM) at the project planning stage from the perspective of developing countries. Questionnaire survey data was collected from project management practitioners in Ghana and analyzed using mean scoring, factor analysis, and fuzzy synthetic evaluation. The analysis revealed that the involvement of external stakeholders in decision-making is of topmost rank (mean=4.717) and effective communication with external stakeholders makes the highest individual contribution (weighting=1.000). In descending order of contribution based on index values, the seven activity groups established are involving stakeholders and ensuring mutual trust (4.666), effective communication with stakeholders (4.633), sustaining relationships with stakeholders (4.373), preliminary planning (4.006), analyzing project and stakeholder information (3.719), assessing stakeholder attributes and needs (3.675), and developing and applying effective strategies (3.610). Following, an evaluative process model (EPM), which is essentially a practice framework, was developed and demonstrated using the relative weightings of activities. The expert validation results showed that the EPM is comprehensive, objective, reliable, and appropriate for the purpose. The findings contribute to advancing stakeholder theory in construction management research in the context of developing countries. Practitioners can effectively apply, evaluate, compare, and improve the contributing activities in external SM process to inform about needed managerial decisions in projects. The findings will guide practitioners to be more externally oriented, resolve external stakeholder issues proactively, manage project more ethically and sustainably, and improve project success.
AB - The study focuses on evaluating the factors contributing to the success of external stakeholder management (SM) at the project planning stage from the perspective of developing countries. Questionnaire survey data was collected from project management practitioners in Ghana and analyzed using mean scoring, factor analysis, and fuzzy synthetic evaluation. The analysis revealed that the involvement of external stakeholders in decision-making is of topmost rank (mean=4.717) and effective communication with external stakeholders makes the highest individual contribution (weighting=1.000). In descending order of contribution based on index values, the seven activity groups established are involving stakeholders and ensuring mutual trust (4.666), effective communication with stakeholders (4.633), sustaining relationships with stakeholders (4.373), preliminary planning (4.006), analyzing project and stakeholder information (3.719), assessing stakeholder attributes and needs (3.675), and developing and applying effective strategies (3.610). Following, an evaluative process model (EPM), which is essentially a practice framework, was developed and demonstrated using the relative weightings of activities. The expert validation results showed that the EPM is comprehensive, objective, reliable, and appropriate for the purpose. The findings contribute to advancing stakeholder theory in construction management research in the context of developing countries. Practitioners can effectively apply, evaluate, compare, and improve the contributing activities in external SM process to inform about needed managerial decisions in projects. The findings will guide practitioners to be more externally oriented, resolve external stakeholder issues proactively, manage project more ethically and sustainably, and improve project success.
KW - Construction project
KW - Critical success factors
KW - Developing countries
KW - Evaluative process model (EPM)
KW - External stakeholders
KW - Ghana
KW - Planning stage
KW - Stakeholder management (SM)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85113851714&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0002155
DO - 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0002155
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85113851714
SN - 0733-9364
VL - 147
JO - Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
JF - Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
IS - 11
M1 - 04021142
ER -