Public procurement of engineering services: the influence of task characteristics on organisational control

Abstract

PurposePrior research has emphasised the importance of the early phases of construction projects, as well as the difficulties of procuring engineering services – especially due to the uncertainties. Despite that, studies on the public procurement of engineering services are scarce. Although scholars have shown that uncertainty may affect the choice of control modes, the level of uncertainty that characterises services is not addressed by the two task characteristics: knowledge of the transformation process and output measurability. The purpose is to investigate organisational control in public procurement of engineering services.Design/methodology/approachThe existing control model was adjusted in this study by conceptually adding uncertainty as a third aspect to the two task characteristics. A single case study of the Swedish Transport Administration was used. The empirical data, comprising 14 interviews with managers from the client and engineering consulting companies, were analysed using flexible pattern matching and visual mapping approaches and then illustrated using the model.FindingsThe public client did not base its choice of control modes on uncertainty, but rather on the other two task characteristics. Consequently, the service providers argued that the chosen control modes reduced their creativity, increased their financial risks and caused unclear responsibilities. This study therefore shows that uncertainty is an important factor to consider in the choice of control modes, both from a theoretical perspective and from the service providers' point of view. The developed model may therefore be useful for researchers as well as practitioners.Originality/valueThis study is the first attempt to add uncertainty as a task characteristic when choosing control modes. The results contribute to the scarce control literature regarding the procurement of engineering services for construction projects and the procurement of other services with high uncertainty.

Examining the Influence of UK Public Clients’ Characteristics on Their Own Innovation-Decision towards the Modern Methods of Construction (MMC)

“…Despite only achieving significance at a 90% confidence rate, this can be explained by the nature of construction procurement where control could be better sensed at the post-innovation decision and not before, meaning that controlling personality traits of decision-makers would have more influence on the innovation's processes and project delivery rather than on the actual adoption and uptake. Such discussions align with Granheimer et al [128], who infer that public clients tend to focus on results and output measurability of innovative solutions and are sure in their public sector's contractual firmness and ability to address their initial concerns [89]. Hence, a less controlling trait that welcomes long-term relationships is seen as an important factor that can predict the higher likelihood of an MMC uptake.…”

“…The little attention spent by construction academic research on public clients is surprising, particularly since the magnitude of the private sector is nearly four times smaller than the public sector, where the former has a growth proportion of £750 million compared to the latter's proportion of £2.7 bn [36]. Such numbers classify the public sector as a "purchasing power" [37] (p. 128), placing it in a position of influence to facilitate the adoption of innovation [38]. Differences in magnitude between public and private sectors also mean differences in values and needs, as the private sector tends to emphasise its own interests while the public sector is driven by enhancing public welfare [30].…”

The Impact of Task and Technology Characteristics on Cost Estimation Performance in Construction Projects: A Regression Analysis

“…The task characteristics have a direct impact on the accuracy of cost estimation in a project. Previous studies have approached task characteristics from several perspectives such as task interdependence, task equivocality, task exception, task analyzability, task difficulty and task variety [21][22][23]. Task interdependence explores the degree to which individuals rely on and receive direct support from others to complete a task [24].…”

El Control en las Contrataciones Públicas

“…El sistema de control interno en las contrataciones públicas guarda una estrecha relación con la calidad de los servicios y la adquisición de bienes (Granheimer et al, 2021). Su fortalecimiento contribuye de manera integral a mejorar la eficiencia de los procedimientos y a crear condiciones propicias para un comercio justo, especialmente para las pequeñas y medianas empresas (Perevezentceva et al, 2021).…”