Author: kwak@gwu.edu

Journal of Management in Engineering

Special Collection Call For Papers:

Organizational Behavior and Governance of Megaprojects

Management of megaprojects represents a major challenge common to all project stakeholders involved. The challenge stems from the application of new cutting-edge technologies and managerial innovations as well as project size, complexity, and risk. New organizational structure and operating models are frequently observed in megaprojects to ensure project success including inter-cultural and inter-organizational virtual teams, multiple organizational networks, and integrated project teams for integrated project delivery. All these innovations and other development have acted as a driving force for megaproject research for the past decade. Although early studies significantly advanced the understanding of megaproject management, organizational dimension of megaprojects remains less investigated and therefore largely unknown, which is critical to policy, practice, and knowledge in the engineering management domain. Some of the key issues with respect to megaprojects organization still lack sound and consistent theoretical foundation. The organizational boundary and feature, organizational factors and dynamics behind megaproject failure have not been conclusively answered yet.

To compile existing knowledge and advance new development of megaproject management, the Journal of Management in Engineering invites prospective authors to submit their original manuscript to a special issue on megaproject organization. Potential topics include but not limited to;

• Complexity of megaproject organization
• Culture, institutional, ethical and political issues in megaproject management
• Megaproject organization cases studies and lessons learned
• Virtual Teams in megaproject organization
• Megaproject organization relationships, networks and dynamics
• Organization behavior in Megaprojects, including individual, group and organizational level, i.e. organizational learning and innovation, organizational citizenship behavior
• Megaprojects organization design
• Leadership of megaproject manager and top management team
• Governance and its evaluation during different megaproject phases
• Integrated organization for lifecycle of megaprojects
• Global megaproject organization
• New research methods (i.e. Agent-Based Simulation, Machine Learning) and new viewpoints (i.e. systemic perspectives and reference to Biological System) in megaproject organization.
• Stakeholder management in megaprojects, including mass media, public and private relationship
• Megaproject organization effectiveness
• New technology and delivery methods influence on megaproject organization，e. BIM, CPS (Cyber Physical System), factory prefabrication, IPD and lean construction

Key Dates and Submission Guide:

• Full paper submission deadline: September 30, 2017
• On-line special collection expected posting date: July 31, 2018
• Potential contributors are encouraged to send an email to guest editors to indicate their interest prior to the submission. All papers will go through the regular review process and only the ones that pass the reviews will be accepted for publication.
• A link to the submission site is http://www.editorialmanager.com/jrnmeeng/default.aspx. Potential contributors should prepare the manuscripts in accordance with the ASCE Author Guidelines, http://ascelibrary.org/doi/book/10.1061/9780784479018.

Guest Editors:

 Yongkui Li, Professor, Department of Construction Management and Real Estate, Tongji University, China, Email: lyk@tongji.edu.cn

Yujie Lu, Assistant Professor, Department of Building, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Email: luy@nus.edu.sg

Qingbin Cui, Associate Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, USA, Email: cui@umd.edu

State of the Art Reviews are full-length papers that provide timely, in-depth treatment of a specific issue relevant to the journal topics. Reviews must provide a complete survey of the state of the practice being examined. A properly written review should leave the reader feeling as though they are up-to-date on the current practices in the field on the given topic. Review papers should include an extensive literature review of the most recent and relevant studies as well as perspective on the history of the practice and the importance to the field. State of the Art Reviews must have fewere than 12,000 worlds of word-equivalents.

The Journal of Management in Engineering offers avenue for researchers and practitioners to present contemporary issues associated with management and leadership for the civil engineer. Young Hoon Kwak, Ph.D., M.ASCE, shared his experience as a civil engineer and editor with ASCE Publications. Dr. Kwak is a faculty member in the Department of Decision Sciences at The George Washington University.

ASCE Publications: What separates this journal from others in the field?

Young Hoon Kwak: Among the 36 ASCE journals, Journal of Management in Engineering (JME) covers and publishes interdisciplinary research that integrates management theory and practices into engineering organization and problems. It incorporates economics, technology, innovation, decision sciences, psychology, social and behavioral sciences, leadership, organizational theory, entrepreneurships, public policy into civil engineering, construction, infrastructure, and the built environment.

ASCE Publications: What are the hot topics in your space?

Young Hoon Kwak: The broad body of knowledge that covers organizational issues; contracting and finance; project planning and management; innovative construction practices; cost and schedule; labor and personnel issues; information technology applications; strategy and decisions; public policy and legal issues; sustainability; infrastructure investments; and other emerging areas.

ASCE Publications: Have you seen changes in the field during your tenure as editor?

Young Hoon Kwak: The field has evolved rapidly from introducing and implementing various management tools and techniques to understanding the complex dynamics of managing engineering organizations and projects that consider size, complexity, uncertainty, and opportunity.

ASCE Publications: What can we expect to see in the journal?

Young Hoon Kwak: The integration and synthesis of both soft (organization and behavioral science) and hard (decision science and operations research) side are essential with practical and managerial implications in mind. Topics that intersect society, public policy, organization, technology, project management, and engineering are welcomed.

We look for research that discusses important issues that builds on clear research motivations, questions, goals, and objectives by applying rigorous research methodology for solid analysis and in-depth discussions.

ASCE Publications: What are the biggest challenges facing researchers today / in the coming years?

Young Hoon Kwak: The academics these days need to be multi-talented. Starting early on in their career, they have to deliver excellent teaching, apply and receive competitive research grants, publish numerous journal papers, and provide services (as a reviewer or as an editorial board) to the professional society. I think this will continue to be a trend in the future.

ASCE Publications: What drew you to Civil Engineering?

Young Hoon Kwak: Many of my family worked as a scholar. My grandfather was a philosophy professor, my father was an operations management professor, so I wanted to study something different from them and picked civil engineering. I was a graduate student in the engineering and project management program at the University of California at Berkeley's civil engineering department where they encouraged students to take other courses beyond traditional civil engineering and that exposed me to a lot of different areas.

My education and career is an example of interdisciplinary integration, which gives me a unique perspective to better understand the interface between management and engineering.

ASCE Publications: What drew you to being an editor?

Young Hoon Kwak: I have served several years as an editorial board and associate editor before becoming an editor-in-chief. It is a lot of work but extremely rewarding.

ASCE Publications: Can you share your aspirations for future of the journal?

Young Hoon Kwak: Exposing JME to various allied disciplines to bring new insight and great appreciation to the growing field to introduce the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities. I would like to see JME become a premier journal by researchers and practitioners to acquire and disseminate essential ideas, theories, knowledge, and practices in management in engineering.

ASCE Publications: Any advice for new researchers?

Young Hoon Kwak: Stay abreast of this interdisciplinary field by reading many classic and recent journal articles to learn past and emerging research ideas. Also, volunteer as a journal reviewer to provide constructive feedback and discover the latest research trends. Most importantly, submit papers at JME to present and disseminate your research to contribute to the body of knowledge.

Learn more about contributing to the Journal of Management in Engineering.