Research On The Influence Of Power On Knowledge Transfer In Construction Project Cooperation Network

According to the resource dependence theory,the knowledge resources of enterprises are not self-sufficient,and they need to continuously obtain scarce knowledge resources from the external environment,and knowledge transfer between enterprises becomes an important channel.As for the construction industry,due to the complexity of the project,there will be a wealth of project knowledge in the construction process that can be generated and flowed within the cooperation network of engineering projects composed of multiple participants.Knowledge transfer in the cooperation network could help to improve project performance and the company’s own competitive advantages.Knowledge power and structural power will be generated in the cooperation network of engineering projects due to the imbalance of knowledge resources and structural positions.These network powers will play a role through the connection relationship between enterprises,which will affect the knowledge transfer between the parties involved in the project.Although many scholars have separately analyzed the influence of network power on relationship quality and knowledge transfer,there are few studies in the context of engineering project cooperation network,and there is no empirical research on knowledge transfer of network power.Therefore,this thesis has the necessity and significance of in-depth discussion and empirical analysis on the mechanism of interaction between network power,relationship quality and knowledge transfer.Firstly,through the review and analysis of relevant research literatures such as resource dependence theory,network power,relationship quality,knowledge transfer,etc.,the shortcomings and gaps of knowledge transfer research in the current project cooperation network context are proposed.Secondly,on the basis of defining the connotation of the project cooperation network,the participants and their relationships,the knowledge within the network and the transfer methods,etc.,this thesis analyzes the source of power,the power subjects and their relationships,and the path and direction of knowledge transfer,etc.,establish a knowledge transfer system based on the power relationships of each stage of the project.Thirdly,integrating network power,relationship quality,knowledge transfer,the thesis identifies the influencing factors of knowledge transfer in engineering project cooperation network,and proposes hypotheses and models.Fourthly,the structural equation model is used to test the hypotheses,and after discussing the results,relevant suggestions are proposed for promoting knowledge transfer among enterprises in the project coopeartion.Finally,the research conclusions are summarized,the lack of the research is explained,and the next research directions are pointed out.The main conclusions of this thesis are as follows:(1)There exists power relationship in the cooperation network of the project.The sources of power within the project cooperation network include knowledge resources and structural locations,thereby forming two representative network powers:knowledge power and structural power.According to the size of power,the general contractor,supervision unit,survey and design unit,and third-party consulting institution are included in the core enterprise of knowledge power,and the construction unit,construction general contractor,and supervision unit are included in the core enterprise of structural power.There exists power relationship among the power entities in the cooperation network at each stage of the project.The core enterprises of knowledge power can influence the non-core enterprises of knowledge power,and the core enterprises of structural power can influence the non-core enterprises of structural power.(2)Power within the project cooperation network will have a significant positive impact on knowledge transfer.Theoretical research shows that network power comes from resource dependence relationships and will also play a role through this dependence relationships.That is,network power may exert influence through social relations.While the relationship quality in social relations is an important factor influencing knowledge transfer between organizations and within networks,this thesis speculates that the path of network power affecting knowledge transfer may be through the mediating effect of relationship quality.The empirical analysis also shows that the knowledge power and structural power in the cooperation network of engineering projects will have a significant positive correlation effect on knowledge transfer through the relationship quality such as trust,commitment and satisfaction.This thesis integrates network power,relationship quality and knowledge transfer into the overall framework of engineering project cooperation network,and constructs the path road of network power—relationship quality—knowledge transfer through theoretical analysis and empirical research.The thesis systematically explores the influence of power on knowledge transfer in the project cooperation network,which not only enriches the knowledge transfer and project management theory,but also helps the enterprises in construction industry to formulate corresponding knowledge acquisition strategies according to their own power allocation to create a unique competitive advantage.