Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Sustained Development of Infrastructure Projects: Putting Economies on the Brink
| dc.contributor.advisor | Gunawan, Indra | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Kamineni, Rajeev | |
| dc.contributor.author | Gupta, Naresh | |
| dc.contributor.school | Business School | en |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description.abstract | The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted the global infrastructure sector, particularly impacting mega infrastructure projects through supply chain disruptions and financial strains resulting from lockdowns and workforce shortages. These challenges have unveiled vulnerabilities inherent in traditional supply chain structures, necessitating a reassessment of existing approaches to ensure resilience and sustainability. Consequently, there has been a pronounced shift towards prioritising resilient and sustainable supply chains within the infrastructure sector, recognising their crucial role in navigating shortterm disruptions while ensuring long-term viability. Resilient supply chains are deemed essential for mitigating the adverse effects of unforeseen events, enabling infrastructure projects to withstand shocks and maintain operational continuity. In addition, the pandemic has spurred a re-evaluation of conventional paradigms of project management success, challenging the traditional focus on time, cost, and scope adherence. The complexities introduced by the pandemic underscore the limitations of this narrow perspective, prompting recognition of the need to redefine project success to encompass broader dimensions such as adaptability, stakeholder satisfaction, and strategic alignment. As the infrastructure landscape evolves amidst ongoing global challenges, there is a growing imperative to adopt innovative and holistic approaches to project management and supply chain resilience. Integrating new priorities such as leagility and sustainability into existing frameworks can enhance the adaptability and robustness of infrastructure ecosystems, enabling organisations to thrive in the face of future uncertainties while navigating immediate disruptions. This research aims to investigate the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on global infrastructure projects, particularly within Australia, and to develop effective strategies for enhancing supply chain resilience and project success rates. It involves a comprehensive understanding of post-pandemic supply chain challenges, exploring the roles of leagility and resilience in fostering sustainable supply chains, analysing adaptations in the infrastructure sector in response to pandemic disruptions, and expanding the definition of project success beyond conventional metrics. Additionally, this research seeks to analyse the adverse impacts of the pandemic, such as delays in resource provision, workforce shortages, budget overruns, and missed deadlines, leading to delayed critical infrastructure projects. The aim is to suggest management strategies to mitigate risks and enhance productivity amidst disruptions. This research, thus, aims to provide stakeholders and decision-makers in the infrastructure sector with valuable insights to navigate and mitigate the impact of disruptive events, striving for optimal project outcomes despite challenging circumstances. This thesis encompasses five research papers written as part of the PhD by publication, included between the introduction and conclusion chapters. The first paper focusses on investigating post-COVID-19 supply chain challenges for mega infrastructure projects and recommending best practices for reviving construction industry supply chains. The second paper examines the role of leagility and resilience in developing sustainable global supply chains for civil infrastructure projects in Australia, aiming to minimise disruptions and ensure long-term economic impacts. The third paper investigates response strategies employed by project managers in the global infrastructure sector amid the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasising the imperative of resilient transformation and sustained growth. The fourth paper provides empirical insights into the impact, adaptation, and evolution of the Australian infrastructure sector in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, offering guidance for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers. The final paper revisits the relevance of integrating additional dimensions beyond the triple constraints of time, cost, and scope in defining project success, emphasising the achievement of overall strategic objectives. Adopting a multifaceted research methodology, this thesis is based on an inductive research approach that includes collecting data from both primary and secondary sources to address infrastructure projects’ construction challenges during pandemics, in an attempt to develop theories or provide generalisations based on specific observations gained from case studies, empirical analysis, comprehensive review of literature, and detailed discussions with stakeholders such as academics, disaster management experts, and government officials, especially at higher hierarchical levels. Systematic reviews utilise a substantial article pool of over 150 articles, while quantitative methods employ random sampling with a sample size of 220 to identify industry challenges during pandemics and devise management strategies to mitigate cost and schedule overruns, benefiting stakeholders. The methodology is based on a mixed research design to collect primary data to gain insights into the qualitative and quantitative aspects of challenges faced by construction project stakeholders in the post-pandemic landscape and to propose feasible solutions. The extensive literature review and real-life case studies form the basis for secondary data analysis, providing nuanced insights into infrastructure sector adaptation to pandemics. The synthesis of findings from the literature reviews and empirical studies reveals several key insights. These include the importance of short-term and long-term practices for addressing disruptions in global supply chains, the need to integrate leagility and resilience into traditional supply chain strategic models, the initial disruption and subsequent resilience in the infrastructure sector, and the evolving understanding of project success beyond the triple constraints to encompass broader strategic objectives and performance standards. The research underscores the imperative for infrastructure organisations to adopt proactive, comprehensive, and long-term strategic shifts to ensure sustained growth and resilience in the face of future disruptions. While short-term interventions provide temporary relief, true resilience requires a holistic approach that aligns with megatrends, stakeholder expectations, and organisational objectives. The findings of this research have wide-ranging implications for policymakers, industry practitioners, project managers, and researchers. They offer actionable insights for enhancing supply chain resilience, redefining project success, fostering innovation and collaboration, and driving sustainable growth in the global infrastructure sector. By integrating insights from multiple studies, this research contributes to the ongoing discourse on infrastructure resilience, project success, and supply chain management, enriching the academic understanding and practical implementation of strategies for navigating complex and uncertain environments. | en |
| dc.description.dissertation | Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Business School, 2024 | en |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/2440/141611 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en |
| dc.provenance | This electronic version is made publicly available by the University of Adelaide in accordance with its open access policy for student theses. Copyright in this thesis remains with the author. This thesis may incorporate third party material which has been used by the author pursuant to Fair Dealing exceptions. If you are the owner of any included third party copyright material you wish to be removed from this electronic version, please complete the take down form located at: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/legals | en |
| dc.subject | Infrastructure Projects | en |
| dc.subject | Construction Supply Chain Management, | en |
| dc.subject | Post-pandemic Opportunities | en |
| dc.title | Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Sustained Development of Infrastructure Projects: Putting Economies on the Brink | en |
| dc.type | Thesis | en |
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