Modern society faces complex problems of collective action that require the development of long-lived capital infrastructure to cope with issues such as population growth, energy shortages, rising sea levels, and migration to cities. These so called ‘megaprojects’ require collaboration between legally independent organizational actors including governments, public bodies and firms. However despite being an important element of a competitive society in both developed and developing countries megaprojects are frequently attacked by pundits in both the media and academia for failing to live up to performance expectations. This research seeks to advance the extant megaproject debate by answering three high-level sweeping questions – what are megaprojects, why are they perceived as performing so badly, and what can management do about it?In answering these questions the research makes a number of contributions. First, it argues that megaprojects are consensus-oriented organizational networks formed to develop large systems of non-decomposable components to be shared in use by many autonomous actors. Second, it finds that megaproject projects have ambiguous performance due to the co-existence of conflicting ‘performance narratives’ created by stakeholder groups. Further, it shows that these competing narratives stem from the evolution of the megaprojects organizational structure over time. And finally, the research proposes a sequencing strategy that aligns the growth of the megaproject network with the hierarchy of product design choices to improve the perceptions of performance.

Investment in physical infrastructure - roads, bridges, power plants, hospitals, schools, airports, sea ports, water ports, railways etc. - is a fundamental ingredient in the growth and economic development of a country. Compared to countries like Singapore, South Korea and China, countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have significantly underinvested in infrastructure over the years, resulting in stunted growth. Kenya has a large infrastructure funding gap, and with ballooning government debt, the country cannot solely rely on the government to meet its infrastructure funding needs. This study looks at the two predominant infrastructure funding models in Kenya, government funded procurement and public-private partnerships, to understand the salient features of each of the models and the causal relationships between them, before embarking on a process of creating a new model that results in the benefits of both. This systematic combining method emancipates the researcher, allowing the study to make use of Roger Martin’s process of integrative thinking to innovate new models for funding transport megaprojects in Kenya.

In capital-intensive organizations formed to plan new infrastructure development projects, the promoter of the project (as a single organization or as part of a coalition) rarely controls all of the critical resources required to achieve the system-level goal. Instead, the direct control of interdependent resources is diffused across multiple legally independent stakeholders (Lundrigan, Gil and Puranam, 2015). As such, the core structure in these so-called 'megaproject' meta-organizations is a classic empirical instantiation of a pluralistic setting (Denis, Langley and Rouleau, 2007). In pluralistic settings, the authority to make strategic decisions is diffused across actors with heterogeneous objectives, interests, values and expertise. Hence, to achieve the goal, the promoter needs to cooperate with multiple stakeholders. Since some critical resources are not transactional or measurable, the cooperation problem is not a 'buy' problem. Instead, resolving the cooperation problem necessitates a search for mutually consensual solutions that reconcile conflicting interests. Moreover, this search unfolds without recourse to top-down authority characteristic of unitary organizations. Therefore, the promoter has to play a coordinating role that traverses organizational boundaries to coalesce competing preferences into a one-off plan. Against this backdrop, this doctoral research investigates how designed rules and structures influence consensus-building during the collective development process. We conduct the research by drawing on two cognitive lenses consolidated in two vast bodies of literature that have remained largely disparate: organization design (Puranam, Alexy and Reitzig, 2014; Burton & Obel, 1984; Lawrence & Lorsch, 1967; March & Simon, 1958; Mintzberg, 1979) and collective action (Ostrom 1990, 2005). Combining these two research streams allows us to investigate how to resolve the coordination and cooperation problems inherent in pluralistic settings. Our research method is a single case study with embedded units of analysis. This method allows us to probe deeply into operational details while maintaining the holistic features of the focal phenomena (Yin, 2009; Yin, 2013; Siggelkow, 2007; Eisenhardt & Graebner, 2007). Our focal case is the planning stage of High Speed 2 (HS2), a new multi-billion-pound cross-country railway project in the UK. The scheme is promoted by the UK Government. However, the planning effort has required that the Government share local decision rights for planning choices related to the stations along the route with multiple local authorities. These local authorities are independent, resource-rich stakeholders who are impacted by local choices, and they have deep knowledge of local needs and constraints. Thus, in the HS2 case, organizing for collective action is a prerequisite for achieving the system-goal. Our research presents two major theoretical contributions. First, we contribute to organizational design literature by advancing our knowledge of how organizations can be designed to achieve system-level goals when decision-making authority is diffused across multiple organizational boundaries. Specifically, we advance our conceptual understanding of polycentric systems--a form of organizing that distributes decision-making authority across multiple local groups of independent stakeholders. As such, we illuminate the designed processes and structures that enable the core actors in a polycentric system to integrate effort and reconcile their differences over time. Organization design choices are about designing governance structures that enable and constrain collective action. Hence, we also contribute to the project management literature with insights on the governance of the planning stage of megaprojects. Specifically, we offer a deeper understanding of how to organize an inter-organizational setting to make planning decisions and manage interdependencies with the environment. Furthermore, we reveal that ambiguous evaluations of megaproject performance are rooted in collective efforts to resolve coordination and cooperation problems. Our research is grounded in the planning effort for the HS2 project and thus embedded in the UK context. We, therefore, encourage future studies to investigate the generalizability of our claims on organizing for collective action in other institutional contexts.

Process Automation Systems’ design, selection, planning and implementation play a contributing role in achieving success in Industrial Megaprojects within the Oil and Gas Industry. Process Automation Systems represent only 8% - 10% of the total installed cost in capital projects, but the reliability and performance of Process Automation Systems are fundamental factors to ensure the operability and safety of new plants within the oil and gas industry. Recent studies show an increasing number of Industrial Megaprojects in execution during the last decade, a better understanding of the real impact that these projects can bring to our societies, the complexity of these endeavors and the likelihood of having more megaprojects being approved during the next 20 years in the global market. It is pleasant to hear that there are favorable conditions present in the industry to promote and execute capital projects, but there is an alarming rate at which these capital projects overrun schedules and budgets. Project execution key performance indicators such as cost growth, cost index, schedule index, schedule slippage and operability index often applied to measure the success of Megaprojects, should be carefully followed by project management teams, during the implementation of Process Automation Systems. In the oil and gas industry megaprojects are executed in a stage gated work process typically divided into phases with a pause for assessment and decision about whether to proceed. The gate assessments examine both economic/business and technical aspects of the project, to make decisions to stop, recycle or proceed. The purpose of this research is to identify practices in a stage gated work process approach (FEL Front End Loading) to increase the probability of success in Process Automation Systems implementation given complexity factors in Industrial Megaprojects. / text

Miami is no longer just known as the playground for Latin America's wealthy, rather, it has become increasingly identified as the business, commercial and cultural center of South Florida and the Americas. This increasing importance and global scope has led to the idea of making Miami into a "new" world city a development priority. The city's geographical proximity to Latin America and the Caribbean makes it an ideal city within the United States to form transnational ties and to attract more business from the region and hopefully the rest of the world. How does the idea of being a "world city" affect the types of projects that have taken place or will be taking place in recent years? Does this idea cater only to Latin American elites and the global sphere while ignoring the needs of local residents in adjacent areas? Megaprojects such as Museum Park and the Miami World Center are set to solidify MiamiÕs position as a global node and a greater regional hub. These projects will be built in the two areas of Downtown that do not enjoy the same cosmopolitan lifestyle as the Central Business District and the Brickell areas, in hopes of creating a different identity or a brand for these generally lower-income areas. Adjacent Overtown does not receive this kind of attention. This paper will examine how Downtown Miami is aiming at "world city" status, attempting to attract foreign capital--both economic and social--while neglecting to place a greater importance on homegrown talent and low-income locals living in neighborhoods adjacent to "developing" areas.

As the scale and scope of infrastructure projects have increased, so too has the array of stakeholders either involved or impacted. Such projects often take years to come together and evolve with time through the actions of project sponsors and the engagement of various stakeholders. Stakeholders through engagement and input can help legitimize and improve large-scale project initiatives. Stakeholders can also marshal opposition that can delay or block these projects. Consequently, the significance of stakeholder involvement is critical in megaprojects. Governments have increasingly utilized public-private partnerships (PPPs) for megaproject delivery. This method introduces characteristics that distinguish PPP megaprojects from others such as: private control, profiteering, foreign profits, and long-term concessions. This study investigates whether differences exist between PPP and non-PPP megaprojects with respect to stakeholder involvement strategies and stakeholder issues raised in such projects. This research employed a longitudinal multiple case study approach that examined four tolled fixed crossing megaprojects; two of them were delivered as PPPs and two were delivered as design-build (i.e. non-PPP). The approach followed the design of prior studies in this area by De Schepper, Dooms, and Haezendonck (2014) and Winn (2001). Pre and post milestone event analysis captured trends and shifts in involvement strategies and stakeholder issues. Subsequently, stakeholder issue tables (organized by issue themes) and stakeholder mechanism tables (organized by mechanism type and information flow) were utilized for across case synthesis and comparison to identify similarities and differences. Analysis of stakeholder involvements across cases showed that NEPA establishes a baseline for involvement, but its requirements are not sufficient for megaprojects; a more comprehensive strategy is necessary. Further, although participatory involvements may be beneficial particularly in complex settings, these mechanisms must be carefully managed in terms of process and criteria for evaluating stakeholder input. Additionally, when private partners/contractors are involved in megaprojects, they become part of the project team and support a coordinated involvement approach. Examination of stakeholder issues indicated that issues that are common to non-PPP and PPP projects are more prevalent than PPP specific issues. In particular, issues related to tolling are dominant; moreover, toll affordability is extremely sensitive, and its severity is predictable based on affected area demographics and past toll escalation practices. The study provided insights about how megaprojects are shaped through actions of project sponsors as well as impacted and interested stakeholders. It also demonstrated how these projects become artifacts of aspiration for politically powerful figures. Lastly, it identified the main stakeholder issues and suggested a set of guidelines to assist future practitioners in developing better stakeholder involvement strategies, which should both enhance and legitimize megaprojects. / Ph. D.

There have been many megaprojects done by project-based international joint ventures ( PBIJVs ) in Asia with Western expatriate project managers leading the way. However, the management style expected at a local level in Asia on construction projects is unique, and for many observers appeared to be unstructured, un-systemized and autocratic. Moreover, the varying strains of Chinese-based ethics and beliefs, including networking, trust, face and avoidance of confrontation heavily influenced management practices. This research investigated how a PBIJV should approach a complex construction megaproject in Asia and how experienced Western expatriate project managers actually managed and lead these projects to achieve overall project success. The aim of this research was to propose a framework for Western expatriate project managers to be used as a guide in the project management of PBIJVs in complex construction megaprojects in Asia, with East-West multi-cultural dispersed project teams, in a holistic way with a clear focus on good e-teaming communication and flexibility of project manager thought so that the multi-cultural teams can work more effectively and efficiently, better enabling project success. The thesis begins with an extensive review of published literature related to construction, Asia, culture, total quality management ( TQM ), IJVs, project management and megaprojects. A conceptual framework of work practices and styles required of Western expatriate project managers in the management of PBIJVs in construction on complex megaprojects in Asia, with East-West multi-cultural dispersed project teams, was established from this literature review. This conceptual framework was explored and developed based upon questionnaire responses and interviews with Western project managers with related and extensive work experience in Asia. This research followed a qualitative strategy for the research design and methodology, and adopted a multiple-case study approach. This research followed a combination of questionnaires and an exploratory semi-structured face to face interview approach with manual data analysis. The first stage of the research process involved screening interviews of the short-listed project managers, which comprised of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with an interview guide. The second stage studied three selected cases and comprised of the second stage interviews, direct observations and documentation as the main methods of data collection. The third stage involved the validation of the intermediate framework developed from the multiple-case study conducted during the second stage via a questionnaire with nine people comprising of the project managers of the selected case study projects, screening process project managers and other selected construction industry experts all with extensive working experience in Korea. The findings of this research were presented in the form of a final framework to assist in improving project manager performance and skills on complex PBIJV construction megaprojects in Asia and it was concluded that such a framework would be of benefit to Western project managers as a guideline to manage construction megaprojects in Asia in a more effective and efficient way with the ultimate goal of achieving project success.

Les méga événements peuvent jouer un rôle important dans le développement régional et la compétitivité des pays/villes d'accueil. Cet avantage est une fonction de l'effet de levier des investissements dans les infrastructures, le tourisme, et dans le développement du bien-être des habitants. Toutefois, les méga événements ont aussi des désavantages potentiels. Afin de vérifier le rapport coût-bénéfice des méga événements, la plupart des chercheurs mesurent les résultats et les impacts socio-économiques tangibles de ces projets. Néanmoins, des études plus récentes indiquent que les impacts immatériels constituent potentiellement les principaux bénéfices économiques des méga événements. Les capitaux immatériels sont devenus des facteurs stratégiques pour la création de valeur future et sont désormais considérés comme les facteurs clés de la croissance économique et de la compétitivité. Cependant, l'existence de méthodes opérationnelles fiables pour évaluer les aspects immatériels de méga événements est encore rare. Ainsi, l'objectif de la recherche est de développer un modèle pour mesurer et évaluer la performance des impacts des projets de méga événements, en tenant compte des actifs immatériels. À cette fin, nous avons appliqué le paradigme de recherche connu sous le nom de design science research (DSR). Le DSR est basé sur le fait de créer une solution pratique, le plus souvent un artefact, pour résoudre les problèmes pertinents et complexes, en tenant compte du contexte dans lequel ses résultats seront appliqués, dans un processus de recherche qui puise dans les théories existantes pour arriver à une solution. De manière à prévenir l'absence d'un contexte réel, et d´un objectif bien défini pour analyser les impacts, le modèle a été développé en se focalisant sur les interventions de la Coupe du Monde de la FIFA 2014 dans l'industrie du tourisme et au sein dela région de la ville du Rio de Janeiro. Sur la base des approches de mesure du capital immatériel disponibles, nous avons développé un cadre théorique et un modèle opérationnel pour rassembler les facteurs de succès immatériels pertinents. Un modèle a été développé, appelé le modèle des impacts immatériels de méga événements (ME-I2). Il est composé de cinq dimensions du capital immatériel, chacune incorporant un groupe d'actifs, 15 dans l’ensemble, et 42 indicateurs pour mesurer la performance des interventions du projet dans le développement de ces actifs. L'application du modèle permet trois résultats. La détermination du degré d'importance (valeur relative) de chaque dimension du capital immatériel, l’ évaluation des performance des interventions du projet, d'une manière générale et en ce qui concerne chaque dimension du capital immatériel, et la détermination de la valeur dynamique du capital immatériel. Le modèle a été testé dans une étude de cas et a démontré son adéquation et pertinence. Il émerge comme un outil potentiel pour fournir des informations pour la gestion et la prise de décision stratégique en vue du développement de la valeur pour les le pays/villes d'accueil. Il traduit par ailleurs les perceptions et les attentes des parties prenantes et pourrait être une source précieuse d'informations en ce qui concerne les facteurs de succès immatériels qui pourraient améliorer la performance des méga événements et soutenir la compétitivité et le développement régional. / According some evidences, mega events can play a significant role in local development and competitiveness. This benefit is generally due to the catalyst effect of a series of factors related to infrastructure, tourism and local population welfare/quality of life. However, mega events also have potential downsides. In order to assess the cost-benefit of hosting them, we usually measure its socio-economic outcomes and impacts. Nevertheless, recent studies indicate positive intangible impacts as potentially important benefits. The intangible assets have become strategic factors for value creation, and are considered central factors to economies’ growth and competitiveness. However, the existence of reliable operational methods to assess and evaluate the mega events intangible aspects is still unclear. Thus, the present study objective is to develop a performance model for measure and evaluate the mega event projects impacts, taking into account the intangible assets. To perform it, we applied the design science research (DSR) paradigm. The DSR is based on the act of creating an applicable solution, typically an artifact, to solve a relevant complex problem that taking into consideration the context in which their results will be applied, in a search process that draws from existing theories to come up with a solution. To prevent the lack of a real-life event context and a well-defined objective to the impact analysis we developed the model focusing on the 2014 FIFA World Cup interventions in the Tourism industry at the Rio de Janeiro region. Based on the traditional intangible measurement theory, we developed a theoretical framework and an operational model to gather the relevant intangible success factors. We named it the Mega Event Intangibles Impacts (ME-I2) Model. It consists of five dimensions of the intangible capital, each one incorporating a group of assets, 15 as a whole, and 42 indicators to measure the performance of the interventions in developing such assets. The ME-I2 model returns three different outcomes. The degree of importance (relative value) for each dimension of intangible capital, performance ratings for the mega event interventions in an overall fashion and concerning each capital dimension, and the dynamic value of the intangible capital. We tested the ME-I2 model in a pilot-study and the model showed its adequacy and appropriateness, seeming to us an interesting tool to provide information for effective strategic management and decision-making focused on contribute to translate more effectively the intangible impacts into tangible improved value creation (legacies) for the host city/country. It maps the perceptions and expectations of the mega event stakeholders and could be a valuable font of information in regard of some intangible success factors that could improve the mega event performance.

This thesis examines the international movement of Ideals about sustainable urban development and design through a focus on planning, private sector architecture and engineering experts. These experts, who are referred to in the literature as the global intelligence corps (GIC), package-up their know-how in urban sustainability as a moneymaking product, and serve it as urban mega- projects around the world. In doing so, the global intelligence corps (GIC) construct norms about what represents ‘good’ ecological urban planning, and subsidize to the expansion of an interna- tionalized mobile model of sustainable urbanism. This thesis aims at building on a wide-ranging literature of the business of (GIC) in design and sustainable urban development, and an in-depth case study of the top 11 of European and American global intelligence corps firms working in Mo- rocco’s Eco-megaprojects. Analysis of this substantial projects explains how the (GIC’s) work shapes a spreading model of sustainable urbanism, and how this, in turn, produces and reinforces particular canons in urban development practice. This thesis however, demonstrated that the (GIC) firms might be at the same time advisors and settlers of sustainable-urbanism canons, but only in the presence of a positive financial and political will, while socio-environmental and ethical issues are not necessarily always involved in their calculus to make a decision.

This paper examines the relationship between leadership and megaprojects with various degrees of organizational and technological complexity. As of today, previous literature has mainly focused on time- and costs as performance measurements whereas effective control have been identified as a success factor. A definite gap remains within literatureof the impact that leadership characteristics has on megaprojects but also how complexity characteristics can be distinguished. This report has researched these phenomena by comparing theory with reality. The purpose of this paper was to concretise relevant depictions from different objective criteria related to organizational- and technological complexity. But also, how the leadership takes form and distinguishes regarding the degree of project complexity.  To answer the research purpose, this study has adopted an abductive research approach. The theoretical framework has had a prominent role in practical observations and the categorization of objective criteria whilst the authors have made relevant interpretations and generalizations. The papers theoretical framework has derived from stakeholder theory, organizational- and technological complexity, adaptive- and relationship-oriented leadership that is put together in a conceptual framework. With a qualitative research method this paper has conducted 10 semi-structured interviews with project executives, project managers, project directors, chiefs of staff and governmental coordinators. The qualitative data from the interviews have later been analysed through a thematic analysis and coded after the papers objective criteria. The reports results indicates that adaptive and relationship-oriented characteristics can be identified in all complexity dimensions but in different extent. Relationship-oriented leadership is used in a higher degree when the organizational complexity is dominant whilst the adaptive leadership have surfaced more irregularly throughout all of the dimensions. This study has been able to probe that a greater amount and diversity within the stakeholder structure will generally increase the organizational complexity within the megaproject.