Relational Governance and Project Performance: Unveiling the Mediating Role of Organizational Resilience

Relational governance, as a flexible and informal mechanism, plays a critical role in addressing the challenges of construction projects in the VUCA environment. However, existing research has rarely examined relational governance mechanisms from a resilience perspective. Furthermore, current studie...

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Main Authors: Yan Liu, Shufei Mao, Beibei Zhang, Qianqian Xu, Qing Zhu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Buildings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/10/1585
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author Yan Liu
Shufei Mao
Beibei Zhang
Qianqian Xu
Qing Zhu
author_facet Yan Liu
Shufei Mao
Beibei Zhang
Qianqian Xu
Qing Zhu
author_sort Yan Liu
collection DOAJ
description Relational governance, as a flexible and informal mechanism, plays a critical role in addressing the challenges of construction projects in the VUCA environment. However, existing research has rarely examined relational governance mechanisms from a resilience perspective. Furthermore, current studies on organizational resilience often overlook static characteristics, leaving the interplay between static and dynamic resilience underexplored. To address this gap, this study aims to explore how relational governance influences project performance through organizational resilience, with a focus on the mediating roles of static resilience and dynamic resilience. Empirical data were collected through 270 construction professionals, with questionnaire design refined through expert interviews and a pilot study to ensure validity and reliability. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to assess relationships. The findings indicate that relational governance positively influences addressing opportunistic behaviors of construction participants and improving project performance. Mutual trust and timely commitment among project participants in relational governance significantly impact both the static characteristics and dynamic capabilities of construction projects. Additionally, organizational resilience partially mediates the relationship between relational governance and project performance. This study advances the understanding of the mechanisms linking relational governance and project performance from a resilience perspective and provides actionable insights for fostering efficient governance practices.
format Article
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spelling doaj-art-baf78bd5338d43769daa677ec4087b7d2025-08-20T03:47:53ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-05-011510158510.3390/buildings15101585Relational Governance and Project Performance: Unveiling the Mediating Role of Organizational ResilienceYan Liu0Shufei Mao1Beibei Zhang2Qianqian Xu3Qing Zhu4School of Economics and Management, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230022, ChinaSchool of Economics and Management, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230022, ChinaSchool of Economics and Management, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230022, ChinaSchool of Economics and Management, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230022, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, ChinaRelational governance, as a flexible and informal mechanism, plays a critical role in addressing the challenges of construction projects in the VUCA environment. However, existing research has rarely examined relational governance mechanisms from a resilience perspective. Furthermore, current studies on organizational resilience often overlook static characteristics, leaving the interplay between static and dynamic resilience underexplored. To address this gap, this study aims to explore how relational governance influences project performance through organizational resilience, with a focus on the mediating roles of static resilience and dynamic resilience. Empirical data were collected through 270 construction professionals, with questionnaire design refined through expert interviews and a pilot study to ensure validity and reliability. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to assess relationships. The findings indicate that relational governance positively influences addressing opportunistic behaviors of construction participants and improving project performance. Mutual trust and timely commitment among project participants in relational governance significantly impact both the static characteristics and dynamic capabilities of construction projects. Additionally, organizational resilience partially mediates the relationship between relational governance and project performance. This study advances the understanding of the mechanisms linking relational governance and project performance from a resilience perspective and provides actionable insights for fostering efficient governance practices.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/10/1585relational governancestatic resiliencedynamic resilienceproject performance
spellingShingle Yan Liu
Shufei Mao
Beibei Zhang
Qianqian Xu
Qing Zhu
Relational Governance and Project Performance: Unveiling the Mediating Role of Organizational Resilience
Buildings
relational governance
static resilience
dynamic resilience
project performance
title Relational Governance and Project Performance: Unveiling the Mediating Role of Organizational Resilience
title_full Relational Governance and Project Performance: Unveiling the Mediating Role of Organizational Resilience
title_fullStr Relational Governance and Project Performance: Unveiling the Mediating Role of Organizational Resilience
title_full_unstemmed Relational Governance and Project Performance: Unveiling the Mediating Role of Organizational Resilience
title_short Relational Governance and Project Performance: Unveiling the Mediating Role of Organizational Resilience
title_sort relational governance and project performance unveiling the mediating role of organizational resilience
topic relational governance
static resilience
dynamic resilience
project performance
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/10/1585
work_keys_str_mv AT yanliu relationalgovernanceandprojectperformanceunveilingthemediatingroleoforganizationalresilience
AT shufeimao relationalgovernanceandprojectperformanceunveilingthemediatingroleoforganizationalresilience
AT beibeizhang relationalgovernanceandprojectperformanceunveilingthemediatingroleoforganizationalresilience
AT qianqianxu relationalgovernanceandprojectperformanceunveilingthemediatingroleoforganizationalresilience
AT qingzhu relationalgovernanceandprojectperformanceunveilingthemediatingroleoforganizationalresilience