International Construction Standards Application Capability And Its Driving Effect On Competitiveness For Top Contractors In China

“The Belt and Road” in China has brought more and more contract foreign projects to our top contractors.Due to the strong recognition and influence that construction standards in developed countries exert in international contracting market,our top contractors generally use their advanced construction standards while conducting international engineering projects.However,Chinese contractors' international construction standards application capability still cannot meet the needs of development of foreign contracting business.Hence,research on international construction standards application capability can help to improve Chinese contractors' ability to adapt and use international construction standards,promote effective accomplishment of construction projects,and recognize the enhancement of regional competitiveness and enterprise image.Current research concerning international construction standards application ability still stays in qualitative and rational cognition stage,which means the lack of quantitative and systematic study,and its driving effect on competitiveness remains to be further verified.Firstly,international construction standards application capability is defined through literature review,and it is consist of five dimensions,namely knowledge learning,talents guaranteeing,technology supporting,relationship management and organizational guaranteeing.Then the initial scales of international construction standards application capability and international contracting competitiveness performance are determined based on literature and interview.Secondly,a questionnaire including aforementioned initial scales is designed and delivered to project managers overseas.174 effective samples in total are gathered and used to conduct exploratory factor analysis and reliability& validity test.After that,formal scales are formed and the key dimensions of international construction standards application capability are extracted according to the outcomes of factor analysis.Next,the driving theory model between international construction standards application capability and international contracting competitiveness performance is established based on theory foundation and experience analysis.Through confirmatory factor analysis,the study gets the final driving structural equation model.In the end,using the method of structural equation model(SEM),critical driving paths are identified and suggestions with respect to improving international construction standards application capability are put forward by means of combining empirical analysis results.The conclusions include:(1)The definition and constitution of international construction standards application capability.(2)Knowledge learning is most critical dimension in international construction standards application capability system,followed by talents guaranteeing and relationship management.(3)Technology supporting and relationship management impose significant positive influence on international contracting competitiveness directly.(4)Talents and organizational guaranteeing have significant driving effect on international contracting competitiveness indirectly.(5)Knowledge learning exerts no direct and indirect driving effect on international contracting competitiveness.Through the co-variation relationship with technology and talents,it acts on international contracting competitiveness.Overall,this study defined and analyzed the constitution of international construction standards application capability,identified key international construction standard application ability dimensions,and revealed its driving paths to international contracting competitiveness performance.The obtained conclusions are conductive to deepening cognition of international construction standards application capability,providing advices and references on standard application enhancement,and then promote international contracting competitiveness.