Using Agent-Based Modeling to Investigate Goal Incongruence Issues in Proposal Development: Case Study of an EPC Project

Abstract

A root cause of inefficiency in project proposal development is goal incongruence; i.e., different perceptions of behavioral standards and ranking of management criteria among stakeholders. Given the complexity of the unexpected behavioral and institutional consequences of goal incongruence, better understanding is required about the mechanism and impacts of goal incongruence during proposal development. This paper introduces a case study conducted on a large construction company. A behavioral simulation model previously developed by the authors, virtual organizational imitation for construction enterprises, was tailored to investigate goal incongruence issues in the proposal development of an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) project. Specifically, the direct impacts of goal incongruence were investigated, in addition to the combined implications of time pressure, task dependence, and micromanagement. It was found that an investigation of multiple human behaviors in a more comprehensive and more systematic manner is necessary for understanding goal incongruence concerns in project proposal development. This work contributes to the simulation school in the area of construction engineering and management by introducing a more comprehensive and systematic behavioral simulation.