Contract Management Research Articles

The Corona Virus Pandemic (COVID-19) and Its Environmental Implications for Management Contracts and the Implementation of Nodal Obligations

The Corona Virus Pandemic (COVID-19) and Its Environmental Implications for Management Contracts and the Implementation of Nodal Obligations

Data-Driven Analysis of Supply Chain Integration’s Impact on Procurement Performance in International EPC Projects

Integrated supply chain management is essential for enhancing procurement efficiency and project outcomes in international engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) projects. Despite its acknowledged importance, there is a paucity of understanding regarding the precise effects of supply chain integration on procurement processes in this context. This research analyzes 45 projects overseen by prominent Chinese international contractors to bridge this gap. The research employs Pearson correlation analysis to identify robust correlations among critical components of supply chain integration, procurement management, and procurement performance. Essential elements, including operational performance, procurement contract management, and stakeholder engagement, are identified as critical determinants of project success. The study seeks to examine how international EPC contractors incorporate the complete procurement management process via supply chain integration. Contractors can improve operational efficiency and procurement management by forming partnerships with stakeholders to acquire and integrate resources, hence enhancing project outcomes. This ongoing enhancement process improves procurement efficiency and bolsters the competitiveness of Chinese contractors in the global EPC market. The study underscores the efficiency and sustainability of procurement processes, demonstrating how optimized supply chain integration advances broader sustainability objectives by minimizing waste, enhancing resource utilization, and promoting environmentally and socially responsible procurement practices in international projects. The research offers significant empirical data and insights for academic inquiries and actual company implementations.

The Role of Trust in Facilitating Land Transfers and Contract Formalization: A Study of Chinese Farm Households

Facilitating land transfers and contract standardization is crucial for optimizing farmland use and achieving high-quality agricultural development following the round of confirmation, registration, and certification of contracted rural land management rights by the government. Social trust is crucial for cracking the growth dilemma of land transfer, and the impact of farmers’ trust on land transfer may also change after the round of land titling. This study aims to examine the impact of social trust on farm households’ land transfer decisions and the formalization of land transfer contracts within the context of the new round of land titling in China, using models such as IV-Probit, Heckprobit, and conditional mixed process (CMP), with survey data from 2600 Chinese farmers in 2020–2021. The results show that increased social trust significantly enhances both land transfer and contract formalization, and these results remain robust after addressing potential endogeneity. Further analysis reveals that while interpersonal trust promotes land transfer, institutional trust plays a more pivotal role in the formalization of contracts. The results underscore the importance of strengthening grassroots governance to foster institutional trust, enhance institutional reliability, and support the regulated growth of the land transfer market.

Talent management in volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) health environment, nurses’ psychological contract fulfillment, cordial relation and generation: moderation-mediation model

BackgroundThe VUCA in the healthcare environment requires combating volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity through highly talented employees and implementing a talent management strategy. This encompasses a range of operations designed to find, attract, nurture, and utilize competent workers that impact how well nurses fulfill their psychological contracts. However, as the researchers had anticipated, several factors, such as cordial relationships and generation differences, may mediate or influence this correlation.MethodsFor a cross-sectional study, a non-probability convenience sampling technique was used to include n = 375 nurses from among the 600 total nurses at three private hospitals in Alexandria, Egypt. Three validated measures were used to measure the study variables and develop a mediation-moderation structural equation model.ResultsThe result of this study revealed that nurses perceived a moderate level of talent management with a mean score of (48.91 ± 18.15), a low mean score (8.89 ± 3.93) of psychological contract fulfillment, and a moderate mean score (185.11 ± 27.02) of cordial relation. Additionally, more than half of the participants were in the Gen Z. Also, this study concluded that there is a positive mediation role of cordial relation and a negative moderation role of Gen between talent management and psychological contract fulfillment.ConclusionsUsing Gen as a moderating variable and cordial relations as a mediating factor, a moderating mediating structural equation model is created and validates the important influence of talent management on nurses’ psychological fulfillment, confirming the mediating effect of cordial relations and the moderating effect of genes in this relationship. GEN negatively predicted psychological contract fulfillment, meaning baby boomers predicted more psychological contract fulfillment than Z gen. Furthermore, talent management could positively predict cordial relations and psychological contract fulfillment, and cordial relations partially mediated the relationship between talent management and psychological contract fulfillment. Nurse mangers should be aware of and implement effective and talent management strategies with respecting gen difference, and apply tailored strategies for fostering nurses’ cordial relation and psychological contract fulfillment to deal with the VUCA challenging healthcare environment.

Enhancing Sustainable Decision Making: The Impact of Emotional Valence, Arousal, and Personality on Risk Recognition During Contract Review

The capacity to identify risks during the pre-contract phase is crucial for effective contract management. Among the various factors that can influence this ability, emotions play a significant role in determining the risk recognition capabilities of individuals. This study aims to investigate the complex interplay between emotional states, personality traits, learning styles, and risk recognition during contract review with physiological and psychological responses. Firstly, a theoretical framework that delineates the relationship among the demographic and emotional factors and risk recognition performance during contract review is proposed. Secondly, an experiment is conducted to record the physiological and psychological responses. Finally, a hierarchical regression model is employed. The results indicated that emotional valence and arousal significantly influence risk recognition performance (p < 0.001), while individual factors such as personality traits and risk propensity indirectly affect risk recognition performance through the mediating role of emotions (p < 0.01). The research contributes to the existing literature by elucidating the indirect pathways through which individual characteristics influence risk perception. These insights can inform sustainable risk management strategies, helping organizations and individuals make more informed and effective decisions in contract management.

Construction of the “Micro-Ideological and Political” Model for Ideological and Political Teaching Reform in Bidding and Contract Management Courses

In the context of deepening educational reforms, the significance of ideological and political education has become increasingly prominent, emerging as a crucial aspect of enhancing students’ comprehensive qualities. To ensure the orderly progress of ideological and political education in courses, it is essential to actively promote the integration of ideological and political elements within coursework. This integration aims to align professional course education with ideological and political education, fostering a collaborative educational model. Therefore, in the teaching of bidding and contract management courses, constructing a “micro-ideological and political” teaching model has emerged as a critical component. The implementation of this model facilitates the seamless integration of bidding and contract management coursework with ideological and political education, thereby elevating the teaching quality of these courses. Additionally, it leverages the synergistic role of coursework and ideology in educating students, ultimately enhancing the quality and level of talent cultivation. Hence, this paper proposes strategies for constructing a “micro-ideological and political” model within the context of ideological and political teaching reforms in bidding and contract management courses, inviting discussion and exchange on this topic.

Adoption of Blockchain Technology for ASCM Solution: A Systematic Literature Review

With the global population projected to exceed 10.9 billion by 2100, agriculture faces significant strain. One approach to alleviate this pressure is through the use of blockchain technology, which could improve the traceability and transparency of agricultural products. This study investigates blockchain’s characteristics, advantages, and challenges to determine its suitability for agricultural supply chain management (ASCM). The methodology involved selecting keywords and conducting searches for papers published between 2017-2021 across multiple scholarly databases including Google Scholar, Scopus, Cross Ref, Science Direct, and Emerald Insight. The PRISMA method was employed for the literature review, resulting in the analysis of 91 papers. The analysis identified the top ten most commonly discussed blockchain characteristics. Findings suggest that blockchain technology offers advantages such as increased operational efficiency, enhanced management data transparency, intelligent contract management, and mitigation of fraud, errors, and financial losses in ASCM. However, blockchain adoption faces challenges including regulatory hurdles, stakeholder relationships, data ownership, scalability issues, and knowledge gaps. This study contributes to the understanding of blockchain's potential in ASCM and underscores the importance of addressing these challenges for its effective implementation.

Assessment of dispute causes in government building maintenance projects through adjusted importance rating and risk mapping

Despite the reliance of Saudi Arabian government facilities on private contractors for maintenance, there is a persistent rise in disputes between these contractors and government entities. This ongoing issue raises concerns about the efficiency and effectiveness of contract management, ultimately affecting the quality of maintenance services and operational continuity. This study investigates the primary causes of disputes in government building maintenance projects, using both the Frequency Adjusted Importance Index (FAII) and risk mapping methods to analyze and prioritize the causes. A literature review and a designed questionnaire survey were employed to rank dispute causes. Thirty-six responses were analyzed. Cronbach's alpha and coefficient of variation were utilized to assess the collected data's validity and reliability. Three case studies then were utilized as a validation tool, compared against the findings of the survey to integrate practical insights with the theoretical results from the survey. The findings reveal that issues such as (1) the lack of original as-built drawings, (2) constant government interference, (3) delays in decision-making, (4) poorly defined scope of work, and (5) mistakes in bidding or cost estimation are the most critical causes of disputes in these projects. Cross-method validation with real-world case studies further strengthens the reliability of these findings, as these top-ranked causes consistently align with issues encountered in practice. The findings of this study could assist local authorities adopt alternative approaches in managing and executing maintenance contracts, thereby mitigating the causes of disputes.

Large Scale Contractor Management Dashboard

Advancements in digital technology have considerably boosted productivity and economic growth over time. Numerous businesses and organizations use a variety of software to organize their work efficiently. This system's main objective is to convert from a manual to an automated method for more effective management. An Employee Management System is one of the systems that contribute significantly to the management of a business. However, this article highlights the deployment of an automated system to replace the paper-based approach that general contractor companies have been using for decades. Laravel is one of the most popular framework technologies for system development among developers. Laravel enables developers to concentrate on the design architecture and functionality of an online application, making it easier for other developers to manage their tasks. Furthermore, role-based access control (RBAC) in Contractor Management System (CMS) has increased the system's security by granting users access depending on their jobs. On-site users will be able to access the system with the tip of their fingers. This development aims to simplify the organization's staff management and will elaborate further on the technologies employed in the proposed system.

Public Procurement and Child Labour in Ghana and Nigeria

Abstract Despite numerous domestic laws and treaties prohibiting child labour, the practice persists in many African countries, including in government supply chains. It is important to highlight the connection between public procurement and child labour in Africa because the continent hosts over 50% of the world’s child labourers. Furthermore, tackling child labour through public procurement processes has not attracted much academic and policy attention. In order to shift this narrative, this article examines the public procurement frameworks of Ghana and Nigeria to reveal how they address child labour throughout the process of planning, tendering, contract award and contract management. It finds that the selected countries’ legal frameworks are inadequate in addressing child labour and recommends measures to improve the identified limitations.

Preventing Contract Termination Pitfalls in Construction Projects: Insights from the Ghanaian Construction Industry

<i>Purpose</i>: Premature termination of construction contracts is a recurring problem that causes financial losses, delays, and strained stakeholder relationships. However, there is limited research on the specific causes of contract termination, particularly in Ghana, and practical solutions to prevent it are often overlooked. This study aims to investigate the pitfalls of contract termination in the construction industry and to propose effective prevention strategies based on empirical data. <i>Design/Methodology/Approach</i>: A quantitative research approach was adopted, employing a combination of purposive and random sampling techniques to gather data from 315 participants representing diverse roles within the construction sector. A structured questionnaire based on contract termination pitfalls was used, and data analysis involved descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques. <i>Findings</i>: The study identified several critical factors influencing contract termination, including prompt payment by clients, adherence to contractual terms, competent supervision, and effective dispute resolution mechanisms. Through factor analysis and SEM, two main constructs emerged: Proactive Contract Management Strategies (PCMS) and Contract Termination Risk Mitigation Measures (CTRMM), each comprising specific indicators crucial for preventing terminations. <i>Originality/value</i>: This research contributes to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence of contract termination pitfalls and effective prevention strategies within the construction industry. The study’s multidimensional analysis approach, integrating quantitative techniques with Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), enhances the understanding of complex contractual dynamics and risk management in construction projects. <i>Implications</i>: The findings have practical implications for construction stakeholders, project managers, and policymakers. Implementing proactive contract management strategies such as clear payment protocols, rigorous quality control, and effective communication channels can significantly reduce contract termination risks. The study underscores the importance of integrating legal frameworks, innovative techniques, and managerial approaches in contract portfolios to enhance contract performance and project success in the construction sector.

Effect of Procurement Contract Management on Performance of Public Institutions in Rwanda. A Case of Gicumbi District-Rwanda

Effect of Procurement Contract Management on Performance of Public Institutions in Rwanda. A Case of Gicumbi District-Rwanda

How incentive alignment along the supply chain fosters incremental innovation: evidence from defence performance-based contracts

PurposeTo investigate how providers of product-service bundles design and manage their contracts with upstream suppliers to incentivise incremental innovation for the benefit of their downstream customers, who contract the provider based on performance.Design/methodology/approachAn embedded multiple-case study was conducted to examine elements of a European jet fighter’s manufacturing and after-sales supply chain. The embedded cases concern provider contracts with first-tier suppliers of product and service offerings. Data collection involved 21 semi-structured interviews, documents and other secondary data sources. Data analysis was informed by agency theory to assess the effectiveness of contract design and management in delivering incremental innovation and to identify related contracting strategies.FindingsWe identify four strategies for fostering incremental innovation in contracts between providers and their first-tier suppliers. These include two contract design strategies, i.e. reducing goal incongruence and addressing information asymmetry; and two contract management strategies, i.e. reducing outcome uncertainty and promoting inter-firm integration between providers and sub-suppliers.Practical implicationsThe research offers managerial guidelines regarding how providers can design and manage their tier-one supplier contracts to achieve incremental innovation. These include encouraging early supplier involvement, using focussed KPIs in contracts, and managing product and service-offering suppliers differently.Originality/valueThe research shows the contingent effect during contract design and management of a sub-supplier’s product vs. service offering, which, in turn, impacts incremental innovation. We also find that using focussed key performance indicators in sub-supplier contracts can be effective in improving product and service quality.

Fiscalização de Contratos - um enfoque gerencial

The article discusses the importance of contract management in the context of public administration and the increasing outsourcing of services. It highlights the need for a contract supervisor to act as a permanent manager, ensuring efficiency and cost reduction. The involvement of various sectors, such as the Bidding Commission and Legal Advisory, is essential in drafting the contract, which should serve as a clear roadmap for the relationship between the parties. The text emphasizes that good management can minimize failures and promote continuous learning, resulting in more competitive bids in future tenders.

SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION ON PUBLIC CONTRACT MANAGEMENT IN BRAZIL: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Efficient management of public contracts is essential to ensure the proper allocation of resources and the effectiveness of operations in government institutions, including military ones. This study conducts a systematic review of the scientific literature on contract management in Brazilian military institutions between 2013 and 2023, aiming to identify trends, gaps, and research opportunities. The research employed a mixed-method approach, combining systematic review and bibliometric analysis, and analyzed articles from the SPELL database. The results show a significant increase in the number of publications in 2023, with a focus on the Southeast and Northeast regions, while the North region exhibited a notable lack of studies. Revista de Administração Pública was the most productive journal, and Eduardo José Grin the most cited researcher. The analysis also revealed a concentration of studies in public universities in the Southeast. The study suggests that adopting technological innovations, such as automation and digital tools, has the potential to enhance transparency and efficiency in public procurement processes. The lack of research on contract management in the North region underscores the need for greater academic attention in this area, creating opportunities for further studies.

Optimizing contract negotiations in clinical research: Legal strategies for safeguarding sponsors, vendors, and institutions in complex trial environments

This paper examines the complexities of clinical trial contract negotiations, focusing on legal strategies and technological innovations that safeguard the interests of sponsors, vendors, and institutions. In an increasingly globalized and digital research environment, contract negotiations are pivotal to ensuring compliance, protecting intellectual property, and mitigating legal risks. The study’s purpose was to explore key components of clinical trial contracts, address the challenges involved, and assess future trends, particularly in light of evolving regulatory frameworks and technological advancements. Through a comprehensive review of legal literature and emerging technologies, the study identified crucial aspects of contract negotiations, including risk allocation, indemnification, intellectual property rights, and data privacy. Special attention was given to the role of technology—such as AI, blockchain, and contract management platforms—in streamlining the negotiation process. These tools have proven effective in reducing errors, enhancing collaboration, and ensuring regulatory compliance. The main findings revealed that while traditional contract structures remain integral, the adoption of digital tools and a patient-centric approach are critical in addressing new challenges posed by decentralized trials and cross-border collaborations. The study concluded that stakeholders must embrace flexible contract frameworks, incorporate robust data protection measures, and leverage technology to optimize negotiations. Recommendations include the integration of advanced analytics for decision-making, the adoption of blockchain for contract security, and a heightened focus on patient rights in contract structures to ensure ethical conduct and compliance in clinical research.

Critical Success Factors for Public–Private Partnerships in Urban Regeneration Projects

Public–Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements are used in different sectors in the provision of infrastructure and public services. The use of PPP agreements in urban regeneration projects, although more recent, has been gaining prominence in different contexts. However, in many cases, PPP projects have a controversial implementation, often not achieving the proposed objectives and presenting negative results. Their controversial implementation is the result of a lack of knowledge and lack of application of the best practices and Critical Success Factors (CSFs) associated with them. Based on this, the present study aims to identify and analyze the CSFs for PPP arrangements in urban regeneration projects. The study was conducted in two distinct parts. The first part consists of a literature review on the PPP CSFs in general. The second part consists of the development of a questionnaire seeking to identify the CSFs of PPP arrangements for urban regeneration projects. Based on the literature review and the questionnaire answers, the main success factors of PPP projects for urban regeneration were identified and structured in the framework with five main clusters: two related to the external environment (enabling environment and exogenous factors) and three related to the internal environment (preparation phase, procurement phase, and contract management phase).

Application of large language models to intelligently analyze long construction contract texts

The emergence of large language models (LLMs) has provided an opportunity to assist humans in quickly reading, searching, and understanding the contents of construction contracts. However, the limited context length of LLMs restricts their ability to process lengthy contract documents, which hinders their application in the construction industry. This study proposes intelligent analysis methods for long construction contracts, which enables LLMs to handle contracts that exceed their context length through a two-stage text segmentation. We further utilized the segmented text chunks for content compression and intelligent question-answering applications. The FIDIC contract was used for testing. A condensed version of lengthy contracts summarizes the provisions in a shorter format. It maintains a high level of correctness and readability, offering practitioners additional options to read contracts of varying lengths based on their needs. The satisfaction rate of the question-answering outcomes reached 93.3%, allowing practitioners to quickly obtain specific clauses of interest and relevant contract knowledge through personalized queries. The performance of the 8K model using our methods is comparable to that of the 128K long-text models, while reducing computational power. This study expands the potential for applications of LLMs in contract management within the construction industry.

Institutional and Regulatory Compliance Gaps in Natural Resource Governance: Empirical Evidence and Lessons from the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry

Institutional governance has traditionally been frequently undermined by developing countries, but this behaviour has immensely impacted economic growth and development outcome with long term implications. More fundamentally, the Nigeria oil and gas industry governance are beset with various challenges including regulatory compliance, monitoring capacity, enforcement mechanism, politics and very frequently plagued with blame games. Consequently, the study conducted primary and secondary data to problematized gaps in institutional governance from the standpoint of development discourse to establish a convergence of evidences within the context of the quality of state institutions that unarguably reflects the Nigeria scenario. Institutional and regulatory compliance gaps permeate the gamut of the oil and gas industry so resolutely in the global South like Nigeria, orchestrated by the political elites who are so perverse, rent seeking, inept and greed driven with no clear sense of patriotism compare to the global North like Norway that is more effective and nationalistic. The findings of the study highlight weaknesses in policy framework, corrupt practices, poor contract management, compromised professional integrity, inadequate funding, poor contract management and systemic gap in revenue management as a consequence of gaps in natural resources governance in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. It explains this on the basis of existing mechanisms and empirical evidences. These evidently exemplify that Nigeria has struggled for several decades from lethargic institutional and regulatory compliance capacity as the presence of oil and gas does not translate or appear to systematically support development outcome in many developing countries.

Strategic Procurement Practices and Performance of Export Processing Zone Firms in Machakos County, Kenya.

Export Processing Zones (EPZs) were established in Kenya to boost industrialization, attract foreign investment, and drive economic growth. However, despite significant government efforts, the performance of EPZ firms has been below expectations. This study investigates whether strategic procurement practices could improve the performance of EPZ firms in Machakos County, Kenya. Strategic procurement, which aligns procurement with organizational goals and emphasizes long-term value creation, was the focus. The study specifically explored the impact of strategic sourcing, strategic partnerships, strategic inventory management, and strategic contract management on the performance of EPZ firms in Machakos County. Using a descriptive research design, all 99 EPZ firms in Machakos County were surveyed through a census approach. Data was collected via structured questionnaires, with a pilot study conducted to ensure content validity and clarity. Both qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed, with results presented in tables and charts. The findings showed that the four strategic procurement practices adopted improved the performance of export processing zone (EPZ) firms in Machakos County. Strategic sourcing for instance significantly improved the operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness of EPZ firms. Firms that developed strategic partnerships with suppliers experienced enhanced product quality and supply chain reliability. Effective inventory management practices led to reduced waste and better resource allocation, positively impacting overall performance. Proper contract management was associated with improved compliance and reduced legal disputes, contributing to better performance metrics. The study concluded that adopting strategic procurement practices substantially enhances the performance of EPZ firms in Machakos County. By aligning procurement strategies with organizational goals and focusing on long-term value, firms can achieve greater efficiency, reliability, and cost savings. Policymakers should promote the adoption of strategic procurement practices within EPZs to boost economic performance.