Previous researchers have studied how organizational values guide both day-to-day decision-making and long-term strategic planning in various industrial sectors. Little previous research has documented the impact of organizational values within military environments nor the effect of training on organizational values in developing leadership attributes. In this study, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) trainees participated in a study of the impact of values training on perceptions of leadership. This research sought to determine whether a focus on organizational values during initial military officer training would impact self-assessments of various elements of leadership (leadership attributes and competencies). Analyses revealed that comprehension of organizational values had few significant relationships with perceptions of leadership competencies. However, application of organizational values was found to be positively correlated with multiple leadership attributes. The length of time exposed to organizational values was not found to be related to the leadership attributes included in this study, except for the leadership attribute delegation. Taken together, the results of this research suggest that higher individual cadet ratings of organizational value comprehension and the application of organizational values are connected with more positive perceptions of multiple leadership attributes. Organizational leaders, both military and civilian, can use these findings, along with the survey instruments created for the research, to support efforts to enhance and evaluate training programs focused on the development of leadership competencies.

Despite significant efforts on improving project performance through research on project success, this area of research still has unfinished nature. This suggests further work is needed to enable introduction of effective project success improvement models. This is even of more importance for dams with significant social, economic and environmental impacts. Despite evidence in the literature that dam engineering projects are one of the worst performing infrastructure types for achieving project goals, no study has been undertaken to address this issue. This paper addresses the knowledge gap by identification of critical success factors (CSFs) in different phases over lifecycle of dams. This study reveals that certain CSFs are applicable in different stages over lifecycle of dam engineering projects in Australia. This has been achieved by undertaking a three round Delphi technique. As a result, ‘Effective communication’ was ranked the most important factor in planning and operation phases, while highest rated factors for design and construction phases were ‘Adequate understanding of natural characteristics of the project’ and ‘Monitor performance’ respectively. The results of this study give project practitioners and decision-makers the ability to influence dam engineering project outcomes in a way that benefits stakeholders, impacted communities, and local economies.

Although evidence indicates impressive benefits of lean thinking for large enterprises, a lot of skepticism still remains about the adoption of lean in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The current study intended to develop an understanding of the core concept of lean thinking in SMEs and to empirically investigate the relationship among lean adoption, operational measures, and financial performance. Particularly, the study highlights the mediating role of operational measures in deriving the financial performance associated with the adoption of lean in SMEs. The study comprises a survey; data is collected from 382 SMEs, and the hypothesized relationships are then analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings suggest that even in the case of partial implementation, lean approaches are capable of improving the operational measures and financial performance of SMEs. The impact of lean adoption on financial performance is found to be mediated by operational measures.

This study investigates the differences in structural patterns of intra-and inter-team knowledge exchange networks in multiteam construction projects and explores the cross-levelinteraction between knowledge exchange networks and interorganizational formal networks, as represented by networks of contractual and task interdependence relationships. An empirical study is developed by using multiple exponential random graph models. The findings show that a discrepancy between intra- and inter-team knowledge exchange structural patterns arises with respect to reciprocity. Interorganizational task interdependencies are found to align with cross-team knowledge exchange. Significant homophily in work experience is found in cross-team knowledge exchange. Interorganizational task interdependence promotes cross-team knowledge exchange among project members with heterogeneous expertise. This study expands the research on project-based multiteam system knowledge exchange networks from a multi-level network analysis perspective.

There is limited research on the mix of team composition and psychosocial factors influencing engineering team effectiveness. This study explored how team composition (gender, age, race, experience, educational diversity, and team size) and psychosocial factors (cognition and group climate) influence the effectiveness of engineering teams. A survey on the performance of engineering teams was carried out to elicit the relevant data from Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) companies and oil refineries in the United States. The results from a multiple linear regression analysis of the data indicate that gender composition, age, experience, and the group climate’s Engaged variable positively impacted team effectiveness. On the other hand, the team size and the group climate’s Avoiding and Conflict variables had a negative impact. The engineering team’s racial composition, educational diversity, and cognition did not have a significant impact on team effectiveness. The insight from the study opens new vistas for how engineering managers can improve the effectiveness of their teams. Managers could modulate the team composition variables at the point of recruitment into the team for maximum effectiveness, while also ensuring the work atmosphere is devoid of negative tendencies like tension and anger. The findings of the study form a foundation for further research on engineering team effectiveness.

Corporate makerspaces (CMSs) have gained attention from both academics and practitioners. The paper introduces the first empirically-tested CMS framework, describing elements and their impact on users and companies. A mixed-method approach triangulates data from (i) a semi-quantitative online survey among 22 CMS managers and users, (ii) in-depth, structured interviews with CMS managers from 11 manufacturing companies, and (iii) an observation study and desk research on CMSs of the interviewed companies. The study shows that CMSs typically include prototyping infrastructure, community infrastructure, and facilitation. CMSs impact users by supporting prototyping, creativity, experimentation, and knowledge sharing. CMSs have an additional effect on the company by increasing innovation culture, collaboration with external stakeholders, intrapreneurship, employee retention & attraction. Thus, this paper is beneficial for innovation and engineering management practitioners who have or plan to have a CMS and for academics who want to do further research on CMSs and innovation.

Human resource allocation is a critical component of project management, especially for projects that rely on the knowledge and expertise of skilled personnel. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a suitable method for this allocation since teams working for different tasks of a project can be considered as Decision Making Units (DMUs) that produce valuable outputs using different types and levels of personnel (inputs). We use Centralized DEA models for efficient allocation of human resources of the overall project among several teams. Using the software teams of a project undertaken in a large technological defense company as DMUs, we define appropriate outputs that measure effort, importance of work, and schedule performance. Factors relevant to the importance of work are aggregated using Rank Order Centroid weights according to expert evaluations. We differentiate between the permanent personnel of the company by their expertise level, and also subcontractors as different inputs. We define staffing policies with varying flexibilities that can be applied in different time periods, and suggest the transfer or removal of some personnel. Our results demonstrate that a centralized view on human resource allocation can bring noteworthy savings, especially in the long term when there is higher flexibility in staffing decisions.

This study examined the relationship between organizational capabilities and resilience of small and medium-sized construction firms in Ghana. It emphasized that innovation would mediate the relationship between organizational capabilities and construction firms’ resilience, and environmental factors would moderate the relationship between organizational capabilities and construction firms’ resilience. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population of the study consisted of management members of construction firms. The convenience sampling technique was used for selecting and reaching out to the sample respondents. A closed-ended questionnaire was used to elicit data from the respondents. Data from 261 respondents were collected and analyzed. The study found a significant positive relationship between organizational capabilities and firms’ resilience; a significant positive relationship between organizational capabilities and firms’ innovation; and a significant positive relationship between innovation and firms’ resilience. Furthermore, it was found that innovation wholly mediates the relationship between organizational capabilities and firms’ resilience; and environmental factors partially moderate the relationship between organizational capabilities and firms’ resilience. It was concluded that for small and medium-sized construction firms to grow and become resilient to various turbulences, there is a need for them to strengthen their capabilities, innovativeness, and environmental factors.

This study proposes a process-mapping method based on the SPM to identify waste in office environments. Design Science Research was used to develop a method (M0) for mapping processes in office environments. This method was subjected to critical analysis by four experts in the field, who sent their contributions. Thus, a new method (M1) was generated, which was instantiated in a company in Brazil in the process of technical publications and user guides. As a result, in the practical application, it was possible to verify the efficiency of the proposed method, and the future flow of the analyzed flow allowed a reduction in the lead time by 75% and an increase in the rate of added value from 4.88% to 19.56%. The method can contribute to the identification of waste more complex than the usual VSM and thus improve office environments. This way, managers and process engineers can understand the activities in detail and propose improvements in these processes, generating greater speed and precision. This method proposal for administrative environments, aims to expand the detailing of waste, allowing greater precision in the identification of waste and, consequently, greater effectiveness in improving the process flow analyzed.

Organizations have prioritized green innovation (GI) following the increasing stakeholder pressure (SP) on sustainable growth through megaproject social responsibility (MSR). A sustainable megaproject delivery involves three essential determinants. However, few studies have focused on the complicated relationships between these determinants and megaproject success (MPS). Hence, this study examines the relationships between SP, GI, and MPS by considering the key mediating role of MSR. Data were collected from 245 respondents in Pakistan’s construction industries. The study tests the hypotheses using partial least squares structural equation modeling that SP positively influences both MPS and GI, and that MSR partially mediates this relationship. The findings suggest that stakeholder pressure plays a crucial role in promoting MPS and GI through the adoption of socially responsible practices. These findings add to the body of knowledge on the direct and indirect effects of SP and MPS and SP and GI, which have been inconsistent in previous research. In practice, engineering managers can increase GI and MPS by focusing more on SP and MSR.