CHAPTER 6: SUCCESS FACTORS FOR CONSTRUCTION PARTNERING
6.6.1 Recommendations based on factor analysis results
Since success factors can be used to enhance the strategy or to promote the performance, the findings in this research can help the practitioners to improve their partnering implementation process. Figure 6.6 illustrates the framework of success factors for partnering in Vietnamese context. The following recommendations are the major practical propositions to achieve better outcomes of partnering application:
• Because dedication is important to a partnering, it should be seriously focused. Dedication is associated with various vital considerations. The creativity should be fostered and encouraged in the partnering team. Building and developing a dedicated team who binding their thinking, acts, and efforts to achieving a successful partnering. All partners should ensure the partnering goals are synchronous; and timely track the achievement and progression to be consistent with the original objectives. Forecast conflict possibly arising due to culture and ensure the good cultural fit in the partnership. Building a working mechanism that is flexible to change. Being fully aware of reduction of total cost is important
instead of separate activity cost. Every member should perceive and commit to continuous improvement that is an organization-wide process of focused and constant innovation. Since high quality product could improve organization’s image and brand-name due to customer and counterpart satisfaction, quality criteria should be focused and committed to. At last, partnering process should be urged to early implement to exploit the expertise and knowledge from parties.
• Participants must be sure that they are ready to join the partnership and the partnering is ready to be realized. Ensure that the participation in a partnering receive the company-wide acceptance.
Technical expertise essential to project execution is available and adequate. Out of technical expertise, participants should prepare and solve any issues related to cultural fit and communication channels.
In partnering, working based on a good interrelationship is a determinant of success and thus all mutually related issues must be well prepared such as mutual trust and mutual vision/goals.
Encouraging parties to advance towards the long-term commitment and, consequently, the current partnering will get a better chance of success. After everything is ready, early implementation of partnering process should be promoted.
• In project partnering, coordination is obviously an unavoidable element of the establishment and development process. It must be sure that the number of contact points between parties must be sufficient to timely and adequately share information. Because
and practices so the training and education for personnel should be paid attention to. Developing an open questioning attitude in the partnership that is everyone feeling free to question any assumptions made by other parties directed to achieve win-win attitude.
• Participants must develop a teamwork environment in the partnering. Problem should be solved using the joint effort such as using collective decision made by the partnering team members to create alternative solutions. Mutual trust, mutual vision must be obtained between partners because they are the two fundamental issues for teamwork style. It is necessary to get rid of the uncertainties about partnership and thus achieve a successful outcome. Partnering experience should be dignified when selecting partner because past experience could support the current process.
• A partnering should have a sufficiency for execution. First, resources must be adequately supplied. Second, it is necessary to establish a process to solve effectively any conflict arising. This process should focus on early conflict identification through conflict solving. Communication plays a key role in conflict resolution.
Third, it is essential to develop timely communication of information and the maintenance of open, direct lines of communication among all project team members (Chen and Chen, 2007). Human being is always the most vital element in all organized entity. Fourth, participants must successfully develop a partnering team dedicated to partnership.
• Leadership is indispensable in any organization. Top managers are the strategy builders. They must secure a healthy financial status for both partnering project and their governing company; and secure the equity between partners when joining a partnership. The commitment of top management will be inspired to employees hence it must be focused. The commitment to current partnering encourages partners to search for further cooperation. Looking for long-term commitment, in turn, encourage partnering team to work eagerly. Communication system must be taken care to prevent the loss of information or delay of transferring information between leader and personnel.
• Balance must be obtained in a partnering. Balance is denoted in terms of adequate team building, quality against other economic targets, and empowerment in partnership. A partnering team should consist of members from all involved parties where these representatives should be key executives and possess the authority to act on behalf of their organizations (Loraine, 1994). Both sides in partnership present continuous improvement to achieve careful works, to guarantee quality, and to last customer satisfaction (Chen and Chen, 2007). And stakeholders must be empowered with the requisite decision making authority for efficient problem solving (Ng et al., 2002).
• Ensure the clearness in the partnership. The scope and objectives statement of parties in the partnership must be unambiguous and explicit to prevent mistrust that could ruin every collaborative entity.
and there’s a commitment to satisfy each stakeholder’s requirements to ensure project satisfaction and success (Ng et al., 2002). Based on current positive aspect, parties should express commitment to maintain the current partnering relationship with other parties (Cheng and Li, 2001).
< Figure 6.6 > Framework of success factors for partnering