Suchergebnisse

ABSTRACTDespite intense focus on leadership diversity in industries such as high technology, business, the media and academia, to date the infrastructure sector has not received the same level of scrutiny. This paper develops a theoretical framework to explain why leadership diversity matters in the management of complex infrastructure projects delivered through public–private partnerships, and then empirically identifies the diversity gap in senior leadership in the PPP industry worldwide. The study is based on an examination of over 2,800 public and private sector executives, board members and politicians responsible for PPPs in over 90 countries. The results show that women and racial minorities are significantly underrepresented in senior leadership roles, a pattern that is deeply entrenched and consistent globally. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of the findings for the infrastructure industry, and explores how a lack of leadership diversity can influence project management outcomes.

AbstractAround the world, public–private partnerships have become increasingly popular to deliver large‐scale transportation infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, railways, subways, seaports and airports. The aim of this article is to provide a framework to understand the global geography of projects built through this market‐driven procurement model, which have been predominantly concentrated in a small number of developed countries and emerging markets. As is shown, within many countries, a governance and regulatory environment has been established that supports public–private partnerships over other alternative procurement approaches. Nevertheless, the production of public–private partnerships worldwide has been dominated by a relatively small number of highly globalized construction contractors, engineering firms, financiers, accountancies and consultants from developed countries, who have focused their activities in a narrow set of regions. The article concludes by reflecting on the implications of the high level of industry concentration, and emerging trends showing greater involvement from firms from developing countries.ResuméÀ travers le monde, les partenariats public‐privé sont de plus en plus utilisés pour les projets d'infrastructure de transports de grande envergure, tels que routes, ponts, voies ferrées, métros, ports et aéroports. Cet article définit un cadre permettant de comprendre la géographie planétaire des projets bâtis selon ce modèle orienté par le marché, projets concentrés dans un petit nombre de pays développés et émergents. Les régimes de gouvernance et la réglementation mis en place dans de nombreux pays favorisent les partenariats public‐privé au détriment d'autres approches de réalisation de projets. Néanmoins, la production de ces partenariats dans le monde a été dominée par un nombre relativement réduit d'entreprises de bâtiment et d'ingénierie, de bailleurs de fonds, de cabinets de comptabilité et de conseils, acteurs installés dans des pays développés et dont les activités internationalisées s'exercent sur un ensemble restreint de régions. La conclusion aborde les conséquences d'une forte concentration industrielle et l'apparition d'une implication croissante des entreprises des pays en développement.

Around the world, public–private partnerships (PPPs) have been widely promoted as a model to expand the provision of critical urban transportation infrastructure. This paper examines the extent to which PPPs have actually been used to deliver urban transportation infrastructure, and whether this model of project delivery has redressed historically uneven patterns of global infrastructure investment. Through an analysis of over 950 transportation PPPs worldwide over the past quarter century, it is shown that only one third were projects built in urban areas. Of these urban projects, PPPs have been concentrated in the largest and wealthiest cities in a small number of countries, largely supported road projects rather than public transit, and been an unstable source of funding during periods of economic volatility. These uneven patterns of project development are explained by three interrelated factors: overlapping jurisdictions in urban governance, project risk profiles, and market interest. The paper concludes by reflecting on the theoretical and policy implications of these findings.

Matti Siemiatycki presents the case for expanding and formalising performance benchmarking processes to address the persistent problems of escalating costs and missed deadlines in infrastructure and public works projects

AbstractThe world over, infrastructure mega projects have become more prevalent, even as evidence suggests that such projects often experience significant cost overruns while failing to fully deliver on their projected benefits. In this light, this article will argue that continued support for infrastructure mega projects stems from the way that such projects are presented to the public. Using the case of the development of a metro railway in Delhi, India, it shows that galvanizing public support and attracting patrons to a public transit system stems from creating an all‐round positive image that combines tangible variables with an intangible set of symbolic meanings. Of course, image is only an impression, and does not necessarily reflect reality. In this light, the final section of this article examines the broad physical and societal implications of the metro development in Delhi, and uncovers the driving forces behind the project. The article concludes that, in spite of the cultivation of a positive image, the specific metro form that was developed in Delhi to satisfy each of the special interest groups involved in its production might be specifically one that fails to suit the transportation needs of the city.