Research On The Impact Of Construction Project Network Structure Characteristics On Cooperative Behavior

The complexity and uncertainty of construction projects are increasing,project relationships are becoming increasingly diverse and organizational structures are becoming networked.Construction projects have essentially moved from being“temporary organization” to “temporary social network organization”.Project participants have moved from traditional adversarial relationships to collaborative relationships,meaning that all parties involved in the project are in a new collaborative environment,which also means that the shift from a focus on contractual governance to an emphasis on relational governance in construction projects.The inclusion of network factors in the consideration of relationship governance in construction projects.The investigation of the influence of the construction project network structure characteristics on relationship norms and cooperative behavior.Therefore,an important issue in the field of construction projects.On this basis,the dynamic evolution of the construction project network cannot be ignored.It is important to grasp the characteristics and rules of the phased evolution of the construction project network in order to optimize the organizational configuration of the project and guide the project members to seek cooperative relationships.Based on social network theory,relational governance theory and project governance theory,clarify the characteristics of each network structure and the formation mechanism of network effects in construction projects.Reviewing the relevant studies on relationship norms in construction projects.Considering the evolution of construction project networks in the time dimension and their effects in a dynamic perspective.On this basis,an analytical framework for the evolution of construction project networks is proposed.The hypothesis model of “construction project network structure characteristics→relationship norms→cooperative behavior ”is then constructed by collating and analyzing relevant domestic and international literature.Questionnaires were developed from established scales and distributed to practitioners in the construction industry.The data collected were validated and analyzed using empirical testing methods,and the results were further discussed.The study concluded that construction project network structure characteristics(structural and relational dimensions)have a significant positive impact on the formation of relational norms and have a direct impact on enabling cooperative behavior among project participants.The relationship norms of trust,commitment,and reciprocity among project participants have a positive effect on promoting cooperation and mediating the path of influence from network structural characteristics to cooperative behavior.By slicing the construction project in time,fitting the model and comparing the path coefficients in the pre-project,mid-project and post-project,it is also found that as the construction project develops dynamically,the focus of the project network characteristics on the formation of relationship norms and their effects gradually shifts from the structural dimension to the relational dimension,thus reflecting the dynamic evolution of the construction project network and the changes in its effects.The above findings expand the scope of research on the social network paradigm in construction projects to a certain extent,enrich the research on cooperation behaviour within construction projects,deepen the understanding of the static characteristics and dynamic evolution of construction project networks,and have certain practical management implications.