A contingency perspective on the strategic management of construction projects: producers, production, planning and project environments

Abstract

The variety in built environment projects requires the adoption of a strategic perspective that recognizes the unique characteristics of and the multiple managerial facets of a construction project. This paper proposes a conceptual model that identifies and organizes three strategic decision areas: Producers, Production and Planning and a contingency construct Project Environment. The result is a set of theoretical propositions and a strategic framework that argues that performance will be enhanced by the fit between the project environment and the strategic decisions that are made. This model is suggested to serve as a catalyst to articulate theory and conduct research.