Discovering complexity and emergent properties in project systems: A new approach to understanding project performance

- A framework for performance assessment based on complex systems science and contingence theory is proposed.
- A greater level of congruence between emergent properties and complexity in project systems can potentially increase the likelihood of project success.
- Two dimensions of project complexity: detail complexity and dynamic complexity
- Three emergent properties: absorptive capacity, adaptive capacity, and restorative capacity
- In-depth interviews with nineteen senior project managers helped to verify the proposed framework.

An integrated performance assessment framework based on consideration of complexity and emergent properties in project systems is proposed in this study. The fundamental premise of the proposed Complexity and Emergent Property Congruence (CEPC) framework is that a greater level of congruence between project emergent properties and complexity can potentially increase the possibility of achieving performance goals in construction projects. Two dimensions of project complexity (i.e., detail and dynamic complexity) and three dimensions of project emergent properties (i.e., absorptive, adaptive, and restorative capacities) in the proposed CEPC framework were verified through information collected from in-depth interviews with nineteen senior project managers. In addition, contributing factors to different dimensions of project complexity and emergent properties were identified from the interviews. The results highlight the significance of the CEPC framework in understanding complexity and emergent properties in project systems and providing a new theoretical lens for project performance assessment.