IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/mgs/ijoied/v4y2019i6p23-31.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Towards Critical Realism in Cost Overrun Research

Author

Listed:
  • Amadi Alolote

    (School of the Built Environment University of Salford, UK)

Abstract

Construction management, as an emergent field of research, is yet to have a recognized methodological orientation, characteristic of other more established domains, and therefore builds on the traditional philosophical assumptions of related natural and social science research. The term “Methodological pluralism,” has thus been used to describe the use of a multiplicity of philosophies and methods, compatible with the study of construction phenomena. This study narrows down the philosophical argument in construction management to within the specific domain of cost overrun research, to systematically articulate the shortcomings in the methodological/philosophical tradition embraced by previous studies. Empirical profiling of cost overrun research reveals the predominance of mono-method studies based on questionnaire survey methods, correlative analysis, and archival data modeling techniques, all of which are underlain by positivism. The study argues that such positivist philosophies, although methodologically valid, cannot adequately explain and provide an in-depth understanding of the contextual drivers in construction organizations, that trigger the more tangible technical constructs, leading to the phenomena of cost growth in projects. Joining in the chorus call for methodological pluralism in construction industry research, this study makes a case for critical realism specifically in the context of cost overrun research.

Suggested Citation

  • Amadi Alolote, 2019. "Towards Critical Realism in Cost Overrun Research," International Journal of Innovation and Economic Development, Inovatus Services Ltd., vol. 4(6), pages 23-31, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:mgs:ijoied:v:4:y:2019:i:6:p:23-31
    DOI: 10.18775/ijied.1849-7551-7020.2015.46.2002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://researchleap.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/02.-Towards-Critical-Realism.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://researchleap.com/towards-critical-realism-in-cost-overrun-research/
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.18775/ijied.1849-7551-7020.2015.46.2002?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. John Alfred Rooke & Mike Kagioglou, 2007. "Criteria for evaluating research: the unique adequacy requirement of methods," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(9), pages 979-987.
    2. Odeck, James, 2004. "Cost overruns in road construction--what are their sizes and determinants?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 43-53, January.
    3. Sanghyo Lee & Kyunghwan Kim, 2015. "Collar Option Model for Managing the Cost Overrun Caused by Change Orders," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-15, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chantal C. Cantarelli & Bert van Wee & Eric J. E. Molin & Bent Flyvbjerg, 2013. "Different Cost Performance: Different Determinants? The Case of Cost Overruns in Dutch Transportation Infrastructure Projects," Papers 1307.2179, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2015.
    2. Cantarelli, C.C. & Flyvbjerg, B. & Buhl, S.L., 2012. "Geographical variation in project cost performance: the Netherlands versus worldwide," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 324-331.
    3. Herve Kabanda & Alex Romard & Fuze Yurtsever & Anjali Wadhera & Joshua Andrews & Craig Merrett, 2021. "Construction Time Estimation Function for Canadian Utility Scale Power Plants," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-16, August.
    4. Holz-Rau, Christian & Scheiner, Joachim, 2011. "Safety and travel time in cost-benefit analysis: A sensitivity analysis for North Rhine-Westphalia," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 336-346, March.
    5. Love, Peter E.D. & Ika, Lavagnon A. & Ahiaga-Dagbui, Dominic D., 2019. "On de-bunking ‘fake news’ in a post truth era: Why does the Planning Fallacy explanation for cost overruns fall short?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 397-408.
    6. Hugo Priemus & Bert van Wee (ed.), 2013. "International Handbook on Mega-Projects," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14791.
    7. Dahl, Roy Endré & Lorentzen, Sindre & Oglend, Atle & Osmundsen, Petter, 2017. "Pro-cyclical petroleum investments and cost overruns in Norway," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 68-78.
    8. Adriana Gómez-Cabrera & Amalia Sanz-Benlloch & Laura Montalban-Domingo & Jose Luis Ponz-Tienda & Eugenio Pellicer, 2020. "Identification of Factors Affecting the Performance of Rural Road Projects in Colombia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-18, September.
    9. Minhyuk Jung & Shira You & Seokho Chi & Ilhan Yu & Bon-Gang Hwang, 2018. "The Relationship between Unbilled Accounts Receivable and Financial Performance of Construction Contractors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-14, July.
    10. Chantal C. Cantarelli & Bent Flyvbjerg, 2013. "Mega-projects’ cost performance and lock-in: problems and solutions," Chapters, in: Hugo Priemus & Bert van Wee (ed.), International Handbook on Mega-Projects, chapter 15, pages 333-355, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    11. Fernandes, Gláucia & Gomes, Leonardo & Vasconcelos, Gabriel & Brandão, Luiz, 2016. "Mitigating wind exposure with zero-cost collar insurance," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 336-346.
    12. Edyta Plebankiewicz & Damian Wieczorek, 2020. "Prediction of Cost Overrun Risk in Construction Projects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-15, November.
    13. Petr Halámek & Radka Matuszková & Michal Radimský, 2021. "Modernisation of Regional Roads Evaluated Using Ex-Post CBA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-20, February.
    14. Cantarelli, C.C. & Molin, E.J.E. & van Wee, B. & Flyvbjerg, B., 2012. "Characteristics of cost overruns for Dutch transport infrastructure projects and the importance of the decision to build and project phases," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 49-56.
    15. Verweij, Stefan & van Meerkerk, Ingmar & Korthagen, Iris A., 2015. "Reasons for contract changes in implementing Dutch transportation infrastructure projects: An empirical exploration," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 195-202.
    16. Love, Peter E.D. & Zhou, Jingyang & Edwards, David J. & Irani, Zahir & Sing, Chun-Pong, 2017. "Off the rails: The cost performance of infrastructure rail projects," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 14-29.
    17. Chong, Uven & Hopkins, Omar, 2016. "An international experience on the evolution of road costs during the project life cycle," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 60-66.
    18. Agnieszka Huterska, 2017. "Public-Private Partnership in Building Sustainable Development of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship," European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies Articles, Revistia Research and Publishing, vol. 3, September.
    19. Petter Osmundsen & Kristin Helen Roll, 2016. "Rig Rates and Drilling Speed: Reinforcing Effects," CESifo Working Paper Series 5895, CESifo.
    20. Abeysekara, Baudhi & Perera, Piyaruwan & Chhipi Shrestha, Gyan Kumar & Gunaruwan, Lalithasiri & Kumarage, Amal & Sadiq, Rehan & Hewage, Kasun, 2021. "Improving the capital deployment efficiency: An infrastructure investment planning process in transportation project," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cost overrun; Critical realism; Methods; Research philosophy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M00 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - General - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:mgs:ijoied:v:4:y:2019:i:6:p:23-31. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Bojan Obrenovic (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://researchleap.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.