Developing a Project-Expectancy Inventory for the Construction Industry from the Owner’s Perspective

Abstract

Although current research recognizes the importance of the Expectancy Theory in the construction industry, a standardized project expectancy (PE, hereafter) inventory is still an area for further exploration, especially from the owner’s perspective. This inventory is essential to identify the owner’s expectancy priorities and help select partners aligned with their long-term and sustainable project goals. Based on the Expectancy Theory, a PE inventory is proposed after conducting a comprehensive literature review. It incorporates dimensions like goal difficulty, perceived control, and self-efficacy. The reliability of the inventory is confirmed by analyzing data from 197 construction-project openers through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM, hereafter). The findings indicate that perceived control is the most crucial dimension in PE, followed by self-efficacy and goal difficulty. A tunneling construction megaproject in Southeast China is presented as a case study. It suggests that when selecting partners for construction projects, the project owner should prioritize those amenable to control, thereby enhancing teamwork and collaboration quality. This strategy emphasizes the importance of the owner’s command over project operation, rather than merely focusing on the partners’ capabilities.