Overview of alliancing research and practice in the construction industry

Abstract

The increasing attention to alliancing in the construction industry has led to a number of studies in recent years. It is time to present the state of the art of the existing studies on alliancing, identify research gap and opportunity and provide suggestions for future research. This article launches a review and analysis of more than 70 alliancing literatures produced in the last decade, which is organized and synthesized following a five-stage knowledge progression framework. In this way, the limitations of previous studies and knowledge gaps can be identified. Despite the fact that previous studies on alliancing offered various degrees of value to the alliancing practice, some limitations and debates remain awaiting further investigation. In addition, the significant changes associated with alliancing also provide opportunities for future research. Drawing upon transaction cost economics, the article concludes that (i) the efficiency of alliancing in the construction industry needs to be examined, and (ii) the cost management and control practices used in alliancing are worth being explored. Possible research methods are also proposed for carrying out future studies. The information presented in this article may guide scholars and practitioners' endeavour in new alliancing research and practice.