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on Project, Program and Portfolio Management |
| By: | Leonardo D'Amico; Edward Glaeser; Joseph Gyourko; William Kerr; Giacomo A. M. Ponzetto |
| Abstract: | We document a Kuznets curve for construction productivity in 20th-century America. Homes built per construction worker remained stagnant between 1900 and 1940, boomed after World War II, and then plummeted after 1970. The productivity boom from 1940 to 1970 shows that nothing makes technological progress inherently impossible in construction. What stopped it? We present a model in which local land-use controls limit the size of building projects. This constraint reduces the equilibrium size of construction companies, reducing both scale economies and incentives to invest in innovation. Our model shows that, in a competitive industry, such inefficient reductions in firm size and technology investment are a distinctive consequence of restrictive project regulation, while classic regulatory barriers to entry increase firm size. The model is consistent with an extensive series of key facts about the nature of the construction sector. The post-1970 productivity decline coincides with increases in our best proxies for land-use regulation. The size of development projects is small today and has declined over time. The size of construction firms is also quite small, especially relative to other goods-producing firms, and smaller builders are less productive. Areas with stricter land use regulation have particularly small and unproductive construction establishments. Patenting activity in construction stagnated and diverged from other sectors. A back-of-the-envelope calculation indicates that, if half of the observed link between establishment size and productivity is causal, America’s residential construction firms would be approximately 60% more productive if their size distribution matched that of manufacturing. |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:upf:upfgen:1896 |
| By: | Micha{\l} \'Cwi\k{a}ka{\l}a; Julia Walter; Dariusz Baran; Gabriela Wojak; Ernest G\'orka; Piotr Mrzyg{\l}\'od; Maciej Frasunkiewicz; Piotr R\k{e}czajski; Jan Piwnik |
| Abstract: | This study examines the influence of various leadership styles on project efficiency across diverse organizational contexts. Using a quantitative research design, data were collected through a survey of 100 project professionals representing multiple industries, and analyzed with statistical techniques, including Spearman correlation, to explore the relationship between leadership behaviors and project performance. The results show that leadership style significantly affects project outcomes, with constructive feedback, clear communication of goals, role clarity, and encouragement of team initiative emerging as the most impactful behaviors. These factors strongly correlate with project success indicators such as goal achievement, budget adherence, and stakeholder satisfaction. The findings also highlight areas needing improvement, including time management, conflict resolution, and involving team members in decision-making. Moreover, the study provides empirical evidence that leadership styles directly shape team dynamics, motivation, and collaboration, which in turn influence overall efficiency. While democratic and participative approaches enhance engagement, they do not always translate directly into measurable project results in the short term. The study contributes to the literature by bridging the gap between leadership theory and project management practice, offering actionable insights for managers seeking to optimize team performance. Future research should consider larger, more diverse samples and longitudinal designs to assess the long-term impact of leadership behaviors on project success. |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2510.05822 |
| By: | Sara Amoroso (DIW Berlin); Simone Vannuccini (Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, GREDEG, France) |
| Abstract: | The participation of top R&D investors in publicly funded research collaborations is a common, yet largely unexplored phenomenon. It creates opportunities for knowledge spillovers and may increase the chance for a project to be funded. At the same time, the unbalanced nature of such partnerships could exacerbate power asymmetries and hinder the overall performance of such collaborations. In this paper, we examine whether cooperating with top R&D companies affects the innovative performance of publicly funded research consortia. We build a fit-for-purpose dataset that matches information from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) on R&D collaborative projects and proposals with data on the world's top 2, 500 companies with the highest R&D investment (R&D Scoreboard). Accounting for both sample selection and endogeneity in the participation of top R&D investors in a two-part count model framework, we find that teaming up with leading R&D companies increases the probability of obtaining funds. However, this comes at the cost of hindering the innovative performance of the funded projects, both in terms of patents and publications. In light of this evidence, the tradeoffs of mobilizing top R&D players should be carefully leveraged in the evaluation and design of innovation policies aimed at R&D collaboration and technology diffusion. |
| Keywords: | Research collaboration, Public funding, Innovation performance, Appropriability, Top R&D investors |
| JEL: | L24 L25 O33 |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gre:wpaper:2025-41 |
| By: | Marika Moscatelli (Venice School of Management, Università Ca' Foscari Venice); Michele Andrea Tagliavini (Venice School of Management, Università Ca' Foscari Venice); Stefano Micelli (Venice School of Management, Università Ca' Foscari Venice) |
| Abstract: | Stakeholder engagement plays a critical role in the success of urban regeneration projects, particularly when addressing the complexities of social, cultural, and environmental challenges. This paper explores stakeholder engagement processes within the Bauhaus of the Seas Sails (BoS) project, a European New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative focused on regenerating coastal urban areas through creativity, sustainability, and inclusivity. By analyzing stakeholder interactions across seven European cities, the paper examines the tools, methodologies, and challenges encountered in fostering meaningful collaborations among diverse actors. The study highlights successes, such as fostering interdisciplinary partnerships, while identifying barriers like power imbalances and participation fatigue. Key insights include the need for adaptable tools that account for local contexts and the importance of trust-building strategies to achieve long-term urban resilience. This paper contributes to the broader discourse on stakeholder engagement by offering replicable tools and reflections for future urban regeneration projects. |
| Keywords: | Stakeholder engagement, Urban regeneration, Co-creation, Participatory processes, Civic engagement |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:vnm:wpdman:222 |
| By: | Michele Andrea Tagliavini (Venice School of Management, Università Ca' Foscari Venice); Marika Moscatelli (Venice School of Management, Università Ca' Foscari Venice); Stefano Micelli (Venice School of Management, Università Ca' Foscari Venice) |
| Abstract: | In recent decades, Design Thinking and the human-centered approach have dominated design and innovation processes, placing human needs at the core of creative solutions. However, as environmental and socio-ecological crises deepen, this framework starts to be questioned by recent alternative methodologies prioritizing the wellbeing of the ecosystem as a whole, summarized by the term life-centered design. This paper explores the evolution of design philosophy, tracing the transition from humancentered to life-centered approaches that seek to incorporate the voices of non-human actors and the planet itself into the design process. Life-centered design shifts focus from solving problems exclusively for humans to creating sustainable, regenerative solutions that consider the well-being of entire ecosystems. Drawing from the Bauhaus of the Seas Sails project, this paper examines real-world applications of life-centered design. This initiative, which brings together disciplines such as art, science, and local knowledge to address coastal challenges, offers compelling insights into how life-centered approaches can foster a harmonious relationship between humans and nature. Through this analysis, the success and limitations of the project will be addressed to outline best practices and potential enhancements for future projects. |
| Keywords: | Urban Regeneration, Life-centered design, Ecosystem, Co-design, Design Thinking, Civic Engagement, Toolkit |
| JEL: | L31 M14 |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:vnm:wpdman:221 |
| By: | Théo Aphecetche |
| Abstract: | The transition to a low-carbon economy requires significant investments in green technologies and infrastructure. Despite growing demand for sustainable finance, investment barriers persist, hindering the flow of capital towards environmentally sustainable projects. Building on a literature review, and analysis of existing work in G20 countries, this brief identifies three key investment barriers: legislative, skills-related, and operational. The brief highlights for each barrier possible solutions to lift or at least reduce them and identify possible room for international cooperation. We identify where such solutions are being discussed in the framework of the G20 such as the G20 voluntary high-level Principles for Financial Institution and Corporate Transition to ensure globally consistent and comparable disclosure standards – addressing legislative barriers, or the G20 Technical Assistance Action Plan to create an ecosystem of capacity-building initiatives encompassing a series of advisory, operational, and technical programs – addressing skills-related barriers. The brief underlines that further efforts are still warranted to ensure effective implementation of the G20 recommendations/tools. The brief also goes beyond G20 existing initiatives and offers some additional solutions to further address the identified barriers such as agreeing on clear, science-based and interoperable taxonomies - to address legislative barriers, and develop market-based solutions, such as green bonds and other financial instruments, to incentivise investment in green projects – and address operational barriers. |
| Keywords: | sustainable finance, macroeconomic enabling factors, green transition, investment, green skills. |
| JEL: | E61 G28 |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:euf:ecobri:083 |
| By: | Brecht Verbeken; Arne Vanhoyweghen; Vincent Ginis |
| Abstract: | Metro Line 3 in Brussels is one of Europe's most debated infrastructure projects, marked by escalating costs, delays, and uncertainty over completion. Yet no public accessibility appraisal exists to inform this policy debate. This paper provides a scenario-based assessment of the spatial and distributional accessibility impacts of Metro 3 using schedule-based public transport data. Official GTFS feeds from all regional operators were combined and adapted to represent three scenarios: (i) the current network, (ii) partial implementation of Metro 3 (conversion of the southern premetro section), and (iii) full implementation to Bordet. Accessibility was measured as public transport travel time between 647 evenly spaced 500 m points covering the Brussels-Capital Region. Simulations were conducted for morning, evening, and weekend midday periods, each with three departure times (t-10, t, t+10), capturing robustness to short-term timetable variation. Results show substantial but uneven accessibility gains, with the largest improvements occurring in neighborhoods with below-average incomes. Temporal robustness analysis highlights variability in accessibility outcomes, underscoring the need to account for uncertainty in departure timing. These findings suggest that Metro 3 has the potential to reduce socio-spatial inequalities in accessibility, providing transparent evidence for a project where public debate is dominated by cost concerns. |
| Date: | 2025–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2509.22223 |
| By: | Sabrine Emran; Hanne Knaepen; Larabi Jaïdi |
| Abstract: | The European Union (EU) is seeking to enhance energy security. It clearly recognises North Africa’s strategic role in the global energy transition, given the region’s abundant renewable resources, with some of the world’s highest solar irradiation and strong winds. Joint efforts could advance shared sustainable energy solutions and generate mutual benefits. Climate finance plays a crucial role in facilitating the renewable energy transition. Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria are well-positioned to lead this transition, while advancing their own renewable energy sectors, green industrialisation and the hydrogen economy. Through the EU’s Global Gateway AfricaEurope Investment Package (EC, 2025a), various flagship projects have been approved for North Africa since 2023. These include green energy projects in Algeria and Tunisia (MedLink) (Council of the European Union, 2024), a 1.7 GW renewable energy programme in Tunisia in 2024 (Hellenic Aid, 2024) or the construction of a high-voltage undersea electrical interconnection between Egypt and Greece in 2023 (French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, 2023). However, realising this potential requires significant investment and infrastructure development to ensure a just and sustainable transition that benefits both local economies and global partners. |
| Date: | 2025–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ocp:pbcoen:pbettg1_25 |