The multiplicity of value in the front-end of projects: The case of London transportation infrastructure

Governing Value Creation in a Major Infrastructure Project Client Organization: The Case of Beijing Daxing International Airport

Major infrastructure projects (MIPs) are growing rapidly worldwide and have a “double-edged-sword” effect on the economy, society, and environment. Sustainability, therefore, has become a critical concern for MIPs. The sustainability of MIPs emphasizes the need to take the value creation view to scrutinize MIP practices, which calls for a deeper understanding of the value creation process of MIPs. Although research efforts have been devoted to understanding value creation in MIPs, scarce attention has been focused on the question of how a project client governs project activities, operational preparation activities, and their interplay to create value in MIPs. Based on an in-depth case analysis of the Beijing Daxing International Airport, we found that the project client adopted the three different governance arrangements of vertical blended integration, dynamic matrix integration, and continuous coupling to govern project activities, operational preparation activities, and their interplay, respectively; likewise, the hybrid values of project management value, business value, and public value were created. Following the results, we establish a conceptual framework for the governance of value creation in a project client organization of MIPs. This study not only contributes to the literature on project governance and project value, but also provides practical guidance for emerging MIPs worldwide.

Vanguard Projects as Intermediation Spaces in Sustainability Transitions

In response to climate change issues, increasing numbers of vanguard projects are being established to help governments achieve sustainability goals through rapid technology development. We focus on the transition intermediation literature to argue that vanguard projects, as intermediation spaces, enable core and external project actors to assume intermediary characteristics to align, negotiate, and pursue policy level goals beyond the remit of conventional project goals. We contribute to project studies by providing a macrolevel contextualization of vanguard projects in the wider sociotechnical transitions debates. We suggest that transition intermediation is key for understanding projects and their achievement of wider policy goals.