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Building a Knowledge-Driven Society: Scholar Participation and Governance in Large Public Works Projects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2015

Lihua Yang
Lihua Yang*
Affiliation:
Beihang University, China
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Abstract

Previous studies have found no relationship between scholar participation and public project performance. Building on the work of Lindblom (1977; 1990), I propose a model depicting scholars' roles in social organizations and governance. A study of thirty-two cases of large public works projects in China and seventeen projects in thirteen other countries shows a moderately positive relationship. The study further shows the greatest influence on project success occurs when participating scholars serve as information brokers and entrepreneurial activity organizers. Successful scholar participation occurred through five working principles: (1) there is dispersed and specialized knowledge production; (2) there is dispersed and asymmetric knowledge possession; (3) knowledge-driven volitions and consensus are criteria for knowledge; (4) the satisfaction of diverse and heterogeneous individual needs is realized through knowledge-driven institutional arrangements; and (5) there are multiple methods of knowledge application. In general, scholar participation seems to be more effective in projects in which there is low political intervention, and in village and county projects. The results of the study provide a theoretical and empirical foundation for further research on scholar participation in social organizations.

Keywords

expertsproject performancesocial governancesocial organizationsworking principles专家项目绩效社会治理社会组织工作规则
Type
Special Issue Articles
Information
Management and Organization Review , Volume 8 , Issue 3: Special Issue Innovations in Public and Non-profit Sector Organizations in China , November 2012 , pp. 585 - 607
Copyright
Copyright © International Association for Chinese Management Research 2012

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