A System-Dynamic Model for Evaluating the Effect of Person–Team Fit on Project Performance

Abstract

The dynamic nature of construction projects has made teams the best approach for responding to changing project needs. As a result, the performance of the project engineering team, which has the responsibility to manage and supervise the construction process at the site, has an undeniable effect on achieving project goals. Recent studies showed that the level of fit individuals perceive between themselves and their team highly affects their performance. However, it has remained underresearched, especially in developing team selection models, due to the complexity of quantifying influential qualitative factors. A system-dynamics approach is employed in this paper to gain a better insight into the effects of person–team fit (PTF) on project performance (PP) due to the complexity of the parameters engaged in this process. The results indicate that team members’ low levels of fit significantly increase schedule delays and errors, leading to severe cost overruns and failure in project cost performance. The model also demonstrates how policies like overtime work or rewards are helpful to compensate for delays and improve project performance. This study adds to the body of knowledge by offering new insights and contributes toward a greater understanding of failure in team selection and its impact on PP. Also, using the system-dynamics approach to simulate this process, which is previously missing in the literature, supports the project manager’s decisions by considering multiple qualitative and quantitative factors affecting the project performance. The model suggests that adjusting PTF would be an alternative fundamental policy to prevent severe deviations from the baselines. It helps a project manager (PM) understand how each aspect of PTF would affect PP. Also, it highlights the importance of supplementary fit (SF) and discourages managers from traditional competency-based team selection.