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PurposeConstruction projects in the oil and gas sector are greatly affected by external risk factors, especially those related to the economy, politics, security and stability factors. Hence, this research aimed to investigate the fundamental relationship between the external risk factors and their effects on the construction project success using Structural Equation Modeling method and PLS-SEM approach.Design/methodology/approachData collected through a structured survey distributed to projects teams in the oil and gas sectors in Yemeni companies involved in mega construction projects. A hierarchical model for assessing causative external risk factors and their effects on project success was developed and analyzed using Smart PLS 3 software of SEM.FindingsThe findings showed that economic, political, force majeure and security-related risk factors had a strong effect on project success. Besides, the Coefficient of Determination (R-squared value) equals 0.743, represented the proportion of variation in the dependent variable(s), which can be explained by one or more predictor variable. Moreover, the predictive relevance value Q2 is 0.375 above zero, which indicates that the conceptual model can predict the endogenous latent constructs. The calculated Goodness of Fit (GoF) Index of the model was 0.699, which shows that the developed model had substantial explanatory power to represent the relationship between the cause of external risk factors to and the effect on construction project success.Research limitations/implicationsThis research was limited to the oil and gas construction projects in Yemen as case study.Practical implicationsPractically, this study highlights the external risk factors that cause a negative effect on the success of oil and gas construction projects in Yemen. The research model of these factors is the first step in the risk management process to develop strategic responses for risks and explain the relationship between cause and effect on project success.Social implicationsThe model of external risks factors that cause the failure of construction projects helps develop response strategies for these risks, thereby increasing the chances of project success reflected in the oil and gas sector, which is a main tributary of the national economy in developing countries.Originality/valueThere is a need to improve the planning of economic and security performance as well as to mitigate political risk factors effects on project success and other risk factors discussed in this study, which effect on construction project success according to their priorities.

PurposeThe oil and gas construction projects are affected negatively by the drop in oil price in recent years. Thus, most engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies are opting to optimize the project mainly to mitigate the source of risks in construction to achieve the project expectation. Risk factors cause a threat to the project objectives regarding time, cost and quality. It is additionally a vital component in deviating from the client's expectation of productivity, safety and standards. This research aims to investigate the causes of risk in the oil and gas construction projects in Yemen.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive literature review from various sources including books, conference proceedings, the Internet project management journals and oil and gas industry journals was conducted to achieve the objectives of this study. This initial work was predicated strictly on a literature review and the judgments of experts to develop the risk factor framework for the oil and gas construction projects in Yemen.FindingsThe authors found a few studies related to risk factors in oil and gas construction projects and shared a similar view about general construction projects. However, only a fraction of the factors accepted have included the variances of other studies on a regional basis or specific countries, such as the Yemen situation, due to the differences between the general construction industry and oil and gas industry. Moreover, the factors of these attributes were still accepted due to their applicability to the oil and gas industry, and no significant variances existed between countries. Research has indicated that 51 critical factors cause risks in the oil and gas construction projects in Yemen. Such risk factors can be divided into two major groups: (1) internal risk factors, including seven critical sources of risks, namely client, contractor, consultant, feasibility study and design, tendering and contract, resources and material supply and project management; and (2) external risk factors, including six sources of critical risk factors, namely national economic, political risk, local people, environment and safety, security risk and force-majeure-related risk factors. A risk factor framework was developed to identify the critical risk factors in the oil and gas construction projects in Yemen.Research limitations/implicationsThis research was limited to the oil and gas construction projects.Practical implicationsPractically, this study highlights the risk factors that cause a negative effect on the success of oil and gas construction projects in Yemen. The identification of these factors is the first step in the risk management process to develop strategic responses for risks and enhance the chances of project success.Social implicationsThe identification of risks factors that cause the failure of construction projects helps develop response strategies for these risks, thereby increasing the chances of project success reflected in the oil and gas sector, which is a main tributary of the national economy in developing countries.Originality/valueThis research is the pioneer for future investigations into this vital economic sector. Given the lack of resources and studies in the field of construction projects for the Yemeni oil and gas sector, the Yemeni government, oil companies and researchers in this field are expected to benefit from the results of this study. The critical risk factors specific to the oil and gas construction projects in Yemen should be further investigated with focus only on Yemen and its oil and gas industry players.

Goal: This study seeks to examine project success in relation to project managers' factors. Pertaining to research questions, we highlighted: "do project manager's technical, conceptual, political and human skills are significantly related to project success?, and does project manager's age play a significant role in achieving project success? Design / Methodology / Approach: This research employed a quantitative research method using survey questionnaires to collect data from 400 project managers working in five well-known construction companies in Cairo, Egypt. Descriptive statistics using Relative Importance Index (RII) were employed to rank the dimensions of project manager's skills: conceptual, technical, human and political skills; and project success dimensions: cost, schedule and quality. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify the impact of project managers' skills on project success while simple linear regression was used to examine the relationship between project manager's age and project success Results: The results of RII revealed that project managers maintain a competitive level of technical, conceptual, political and human skills, and emphasize on specific aspects of cost, schedule, and quality dimensions of project success. The regression analysis revealed that 49.2% of the explained variation in project success can be accounted for technical, political, human and conceptual skills at coefficient of determination values of 0.611, 0.506, 0.431 and 0.407 respectively while the project manager's age had no association with project success with a P value 0.694 at alpha level of 0.05. Limitations of the investigation:Generalizing research findings might be challenged because sample size was randomly selected due lack of identifying the exact size target population. Practical implications:The managerial implication of this study lies in the need for construction companies not to consider project manager's age as a significant factor for project success, instead they need to ensure that project managers possess a competitive level of conceptual, technical, political and human skills.Originality / Value: Pertaining to contribution to academia, this research argues that project success subject to a set of comprehensive set of project managerial skills namely conceptual, technical, political and human. Further, it is essential to distinguish between project manager's age and experience and not to consider project manager's age as a determinant of a project success.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the risk factors in construction projects in oil and gas processing facilities in Yemen and serves as a case study for developing countries. Design/methodology/approach By using a questionnaire, data were collected from 201 project managers and engineers employed in different sectors in the oil and gas industry in Yemen. Findings The survey analysis based on Kruskal–Wallis test method shows a high degree of agreement on the perceptions of risk factors depending on categories of companies. In other words, the tested risk factors exist in all sectors of oil companies in Yemen and are valid as a measure of risk factors in construction projects in oil and gas organizations in general. Although no evidence suggests that the risk factors differ significantly according to job title, the result of identifiable risk factors according to experience shows a statistically significant difference among participants in terms of their experience. The relative importance of the ranking of risk factors was obtained by the statistical analysis of responses on the impact and likelihood of occurrence of these risks. Findings show that internal risks are the greatest influential factors in construction projects in the oil and gas sector, followed by changes during construction project, government instability, incorrect project cost estimation, government delay in decision making, incorrect project schedule estimation, and political situation and war in the country. Originality/value These findings are valuable to organizations that are planning to conduct construction projects for oil and gas processing facilities in Yemen and other nations with similar environments, such as developing countries.

Construction delays have become endemic in Libya. It is imperative to create awareness of the extent to which such delays can adversely affect project delivery, especially with regard to road construction projects. It is clear that the Libyan road construction industry also faces the issue of not being able to complete projects within the allocated time. This paper identifies the effects of road construction delays, evaluates these through a questionnaire, and assesses them using an empirical method. A detailed review of related literature produced the secondary data, while the primary data was obtained via a structured questionnaire which targeted the road construction projects owners, consultants and contractors. A 71% response rate was achieved; 256 out of the 360 questionnaires sent out were returned. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data received from the questionnaires. The findings of the study reveal that the major outcomes of road construction project schedule overruns in Tripoli, Libya include cost overruns, time extensions, disputes, loss of profit, breaches of contract, poor quality of work and company's bad reputation. The study makes a contribution to the knowledge of the subject of the outcomes of road construction project schedule overruns in Tripoli. Computation of the means and standard deviations, together with a structural equation model, have been used for the data analysis and inference. It is found that delays in road construction projects widely lead to cost overrun, time overrun, litigation and disputes. The findings of the study also provide significant insights into the construction industry, which will help it formulate strategies in order to avoid delays and their consequences. The most important effects identified were time overrun, cost overrun and obstruction of economic and country development. The recommendations and limitations are discussed in the concluding part of the study.

Purpose This study aims to identify and assess the significant risks in Yemen oil and gas construction projects based on their risk rating (impact and probability) by using probability–impact matrix (PIM). Design/methodology/approach In total, 51 risk factors that might affect construction projects in the oil and gas sector are defined through a detailed literature review and expert judgment. The risk factors were tabulated in a questionnaire form, which was sent to a total of 400 participants asking their contribution in identifying the risk matrix for the risk factors in terms of impact and probability of occurrence during the project life cycle. Five zones were used in the matrix according to the degree of risk factor’s severity on the success of the project. These zones are light green, dark green, yellow, light red and dark red. Findings The PIM analysis for risk factors found that five factors are located in the dark red zone, as top risks factors have a very high impact and very high probability of occurring; 40 factors are located in the light red zone; six factors are located in the yellow zone; and no factors are located in the green zone (light and dark), which is considered an indication of the importance of risk factors under study and their impact on the success of construction projects in the oil and gas sector. Moreover, the factors under feasibility study and design and resources and material; are the most categories effect on project success. Research limitations/implications The research was limited to the oil and gas construction projects in Yemen. Practical implications Practically, this study highlights the top risk factors in oil and gas construction projects, which might cause an adverse effect on project success in Yemen. Classification and ranking of these factors by using the risk matrix provide the basis for risk response planning to enhance the chances of project success. Originality/value This paper identifies the matrix for risk factors affecting the success of construction projects in the oil and gas industry in Yemen. There is a significant contribution expected from this research, especially for companies operating in the oil and gas sector and other organizations that plan to invest in this field, in addition to expected benefits for the Yemeni Government and researchers because of lack of research in this area.

Purpose Project failure is the result of one or a combination of several causes of risk factors that are very important to identify for effective performance. This study aims to focus on studying the fundamental relationship between internal risk factors and the negative effect on oil and gas project success in Yemen using the partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) method. Design/methodology/approach Data collection was carried out using a formal questionnaire survey of the oil field sector in Yemen by companies involved in mega-oil and gas construction projects. A hierarchical model for determining causative internal risk factors and their effects was developed and evaluated using SEM method by SmartPLS3 software technology. Findings The findings of analyzing model indicate that all categories have a significant effect on project success, while the most significant affected categories in the internal risk factors are project management factors, feasibility study-design and resources-material supply with a path coefficient value of 0.213, 0.197 and 0.186, respectively. Moreover, for the hypotheses test, the positive relationship means that all experimental hypotheses are accepted according to path coefficient value analysis. In addition, the internal risk factors research model shows the ranking of effects on project success starting with project stoppage (loading factor 0.841), cost overruns (loading factor 0.818), time overruns (loading factor 0.726) and project target failure with loading factor 0.539. Research limitations/implications The research was limited to the oil and gas construction projects in Yemen. Practical implications Interpreting the relationship between internal risk factors and their impact on the success of construction projects in the oil and gas sector will assist project team and oil companies in developing risk response strategies and developing appropriate plans to mitigate the effects of risks, which is presented in this paper. Originality/value The paper explains the relationship between cause and effect of internal risk factors in oil and gas projects in Yemen, and is expected to be a guideline for the oil companies and future academic research in the risk management area.