Share:


Path analysis on escalation of commitment of investors in different project scenarios of PPPs

    Qi Luo Affiliation
    ; Ruolan Gao Affiliation
    ; Jicai Liu Affiliation
    ; Yahui Li Affiliation

Abstract

In public-private partnerships (PPPs), escalation of commitment (EOC) of investors often occurs when receiving negative feedback, leading to a great waste of resources and not conducive to the sustainable development of PPPs. The degree of project completion and decision-making responsibilities of investors with different conscientiousness and neuroticism may affect subsequent resource allocation and further influence their escalation behaviour. Thus, through scenario simulation, this paper constructs path analysis to illustrate the formation mechanism of EOC by investors with diverse conscientiousness and neuroticism in different degrees of decision-making responsibilities and project completion, in which confidence in completing the projects may present a mediating effect. The empirical results show that completion degree and decision-making responsibilities both positively affect investors’ EOC and that the interaction is significant. The impact mechanism of conscientiousness and neuroticism on EOC varies in different project scenarios. Then, some targeted recommendations are proposed to curb EOC. The findings provide scientific evidence for governments to conduct effective governance of EOC in PPPs.

Keyword : public-private partnerships (PPPs), escalation of commitment (EOC), path analysis, conscientiousness, neuroticism

How to Cite
Luo, Q., Gao, R., Liu, J., & Li, Y. (2022). Path analysis on escalation of commitment of investors in different project scenarios of PPPs. International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 26(2), 127-140. https://doi.org/10.3846/ijspm.2022.16477
Published in Issue
Apr 21, 2022
Abstract Views
517
PDF Downloads
472
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

Arkes, H. R., & Blumer, C. (1985). The psychology of sunk cost. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 35(1), 124–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(85)90049-4

Bazerman, M. H., & Moore, D. A. (2008). Judgment in managerial decision making. Wiley Global Education.

Bazerman, M. H., Giuliano, T., & Appelman, A. (1984). Escalation of commitment in individual and group decision making. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 33(2), 141–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(84)90017-5

Bobocel, D. R., & Meyer, J. P. (1994). Escalating commitment to a failing course of action: separating the roles of choice and justification. Journal of Applied Psychology, 79(3), 360−363. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.79.3.360

Boulding, W., Guha, A., & Staelin, R. (2017). Do we really need to change the decision maker? Counterintuitive escalation of commitment results in real options contexts. Management Science, 63(10), 3459–3472. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2016.2475

Brockner, J. (1992). The escalation of commitment to a failing course of action: toward theoretical progress. Academy of Management Review, 17(1), 39–61. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1992.4279568

Carbonara, N., & Pellegrino, R. (2018). Revenue guarantee in public–private partnerships: a win-win model. Construction Management and Economics, 36(10), 584–598. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2018.1467028

Chung, S. H., & Cheng, K. C. (2018). How does cognitive dissonance influence the sunk cost effect? Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 11, 37–45. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S169092

Conlon, E. J., & Parks, J. M. (1987). Information requests in the context of escalation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 72(3), 344–350. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.72.3.344

Costa, P. T., & McCrea, R. R. (1992). Revised neo personality inventory (NEO-PI-R) and NEO five-factor inventory (NEO-FFI): professional manual. Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.

Cui, C., Liu, Y., Hope, A., & Wang, J. (2018). Review of studies on the public-private partnerships (PPP) for infrastructure projects. International Journal of Project Management, 36(5), 773–794. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2018.03.004

Devigne, D., Manigart, S., & Wright, M. (2016). Escalation of commitment in venture capital decision making: differentiating between domestic and international investors. Journal of Business Venturing, 31(3), 253–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2016.01.001

Feldman, G., & Wong, K. F. E. (2018). When action-inaction framing leads to higher escalation of commitment: a new inaction-effect perspective on the sunk-cost fallacy. Psychological Science, 29(4), 537–548. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797617739368

Gao, R., & Liu, J. (2019). Selection of government supervision mode of PPP projects during the operation stage. Construction Management and Economics, 37(10), 584–603. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2018.1564347

Gao, R., & Liu, J. (2020). Value of investors’ escalation of commitment in PPP projects using real option thinking. International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 24(5), 348–364. https://doi.org/10.3846/ijspm.2020.13120

Goldberg, L. R. (1990). An alternative “description of personality”: the Big-Five factor structure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59(6), 1216–1229. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.59.6.1216

He, X., & Mittal, V. (2007). The effect of decision risk and project stage on escalation of commitment. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 103(2), 225–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2007.01.002

Hogarth, R. M., & Einhorn, H. J. (1992). Order effects in belief updating: the belief-adjustment model. Cognitive Psychology, 24(1), 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0285(92)90002-J

Hueskes, M., Verhoest, K., & Block, T. (2017). Governing public-private partnerships for sustainability: an analysis of procurement and governance practices of PPP infrastructure projects. International Journal of Project Management, 35(6), 1184–1195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2017.02.020

Jani, A. (2008). An experimental investigation of factors influencing perceived control over a failing IT project. International Journal of Project Management, 26(7), 726–732. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2008.06.004

Jani, A. (2011). Escalation of commitment in troubled IT projects: influence of project risk factors and self-efficacy on the perception of risk and the commitment to a failing project. International Journal of Project Management, 29(7), 934–945. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2010.08.004

Kahneman, D., & Tversky, A. (1979). Prospect theory: an analysis of decision under risk. Econometrica, 47(2), 263–291. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789814417358_0006

Ku, G. (2008). Learning to de-escalate: the effects of regret in escalation of commitment. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 105(2), 221–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2007.08.002

Leatherwood, M. L., & Conlon, E. J. (1988). The impact of prospectively relevant information on persistence in a project following setbacks. Advances in Information Processing in Organizations, 3, 207–219.

Lee, J. S., Keil, M., & Wong, K. F. E. (2018). Does a tired mind help avoid a decision bias? The effect of ego depletion on escalation of commitment. Applied Psychology, 67(1), 171–185. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12109

Liu, J., Gao, R., Cheah, C. Y. J., & Luo, J. (2017). Evolutionary game of investors’ opportunistic behaviour during the operational period in PPP projects. Construction Management and Economics, 35(3), 137–153. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2016.1237033

Liu, J., Liu, J., Gao, R., Gao, H. O., & Li, Y. (2019a). Identifying project factors that affect an investor’s escalation of commitment in public-private partnership projects. Project Management Journal, 50(6), 686–698. https://doi.org/10.1177/8756972819847874

Liu, S., Jin, H., Liu, C., Xie, B., & Mills, A. (2019b). Government compensation and costs of non-competition guarantee for PPP rental retirement villages. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 27(1), 128–149. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-01-2019-0063

Liu, Z., & Liu, C. (2004). Interpretation of escalation of commitment based on an experiment research: self-justification theory or prospect theory. China Accounting Review, 2(2), 249–258.

Mobekk, H., Fagerstrøm, A., & Hantula, D. A. (2018). The influence of probability discounting on escalation in information technology projects. International Journal of Information Technology Project Management, 9(1), 23–39. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJITPM.2018010102

Montealegre, R., & Keil, M. (2000). De-escalating information technology projects: lessons from the Denver International Airport. MIS Quarterly, 24(3), 417–447. https://doi.org/10.2307/3250968

Moon, H. (2001a). Looking forward and looking back: integrating completion and sunk-cost effects within an escalation-of-commitment progress decision. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(1), 104–113. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.1.104

Moon, H. (2001b). The two faces of conscientiousness: duty and achievement striving in escalation of commitment dilemmas. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 533–540. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.3.535

Moon, H., Hollenbeck, J. R., Humphrey, S. E., & Maue, B. (2003). The tripartite model of neuroticism and the suppression of depression and anxiety within an escalation of commitment dilemma. Journal of Personality, 71(3), 347–368. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6494.7103004

Morer, M., Ansel, D., Michelik, F., & Girandola, F. (2018). Sunk cost of local elected representatives in situation of fiscal competition: an example of escalating commitment. Revue Européenne de Psychologie Appliquée, 68(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erap.2017.11.003

Norusis, M. J. (1992). SPSS for Windows: professional statistics user’s guide, Release 5.0. SPSS Incorporated.

Odean, T. (1998). Are investors reluctant to realize their losses? The Journal of Finance, 53(5), 1775–1798. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-1082.00072

Pan, S. L., Pan, G. S., Newman, M., & Flynn, D. (2006). Escalation and de-escalation of commitment to information systems projects: insights from a project evaluation model. European Journal of Operational Research, 173(3), 1139–1160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2005.07.009

Pellegrino, R., Carbonara, N., & Costantino, N. (2019). Public guarantees for mitigating interest rate risk in PPP projects. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 9(2), 248–261. https://doi.org/10.1108/BEPAM-01-2018-0012

Portugal-Pereira, J., Ferreira, P., Cunha, J., Szklo, A., Schaeffer, R., & Araújo, M. (2018). Better late than never, but never late is better: risk assessment of nuclear power construction projects. Energy Policy, 120, 158–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2018.05.041

Ronay, R., Oostrom, J. K., Lehmann-Willenbrock, N., & Van Vugt, M. (2017). Pride before the fall: (Over) confidence predicts escalation of public commitment. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 69, 13–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2016.10.005

Ross, J., & Staw, B. M. (1993). Organizational escalation and exit: lessons from the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant. Academy of Management Journal, 36(4), 701–732. https://doi.org/10.2307/256756

Rutten, M. E., Dorée, A. G., & Halman, J. I. (2014). Together on the path to construction innovation: yet another example of escalation of commitment? Construction Management and Economics, 32(7–8), 695–704. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2014.933855

Schmidt, J. B., & Calantone, R. J. (2002). Escalation of commitment during new product development. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 30(2), 103–118. https://doi.org/10.1177/03079459994362

Schultze, T., & Schulz-Hardt, S. (2015). The impact of biased information and corresponding meta-information on escalating commitment. Journal of Economic Psychology, 49, 108–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2015.05.005

Sleesman, D. J., Conlon, D. E., McNamara, G., & Miles, J. E. (2012). Cleaning up the big muddy: a meta-analytic review of the determinants of escalation of commitment. Academy of Management Journal, 55(3), 541–562. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.0696

Song, J., Hu, Y., & Feng, Z. (2018). Factors influencing early termination of PPP projects in China. Journal of Management in Engineering, 34(1), 05017008. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000572

Staats, B. R., Kc, D. S., & Gino, F. (2018). Maintaining beliefs in the face of negative news: the moderating role of experience. Management Science, 64(2), 804–824. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2016.2640

Staw, B. M. (1976). Knee-deep in the big muddy: a study of escalating commitment to a chosen course of action. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16(1), 27–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(76)90005-2

Staw, B. M. (1981). The escalation of commitment to a course of action. Academy of Management Review, 6(4), 577–587. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1981.4285694

Staw, B. M., & Ross, J. (1989). Understanding behavior in escalation situations. Science, 246(4927), 216–220. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.246.4927.216

Tsai, M. H., & Young, M. J. (2010). Anger, fear, and escalation of commitment. Cognition and Emotion, 24(6), 962–973. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930903050631

Wang, S., Tang, W., & Li, Y. (2013). Relationship between owners’ capabilities and project performance on development of hydropower projects in China. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 139(9), 1168–1178. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000694

Wang, T., Tang, W., Du, L., Duffield, C. F., & Wei, Y. (2016). Relationships among risk management, partnering, and contractor capability in international EPC project delivery. Journal of Management in Engineering, 32(6), 04016017. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000459

Wang, Y., & Gao, R. (2020). Risk distribution and benefit analysis of PPP projects based on public participation. International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 24(4), 215–225. https://doi.org/10.3846/ijspm.2020.12329

Whyte, G. (1986). Escalating commitment to a course of action: a reinterpretation. Academy of Management Review, 11(2), 311–321. https://doi.org/10.2307/258462

Whyte, G. (1993). Escalating commitment in individual and group decision making: a prospect theory approach. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 54(3), 430–455. https://doi.org/10.1006/obhd.1993.1018

Whyte, G., Saks, A. M., & Hook, S. (1997). When success breeds failure: the role of self-efficacy in escalating commitment to a losing course of action. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 18(5), 415–432. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1379(199709)18:5<415::AID-JOB813>3.0.CO;2-G

Winch, G. M. (2013). Escalation in major projects: lessons from the Channel Fixed Link. International Journal of Project Management, 31(5), 724–734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2013.01.012

Wong, K. F. E. (2005). The role of risk in making decisions under escalation situations. Applied Psychology, 54(4), 584–607. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.2005.00236.x

Wong, K. F. E., & Kwong, J. Y. (2007). The role of anticipated regret in escalation of commitment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(2), 545–554. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.2.545

Wong, K. F. E., Kwong, J. Y. Y., & Ng, C. K. (2008). When thinking rationally increases biases: the role of rational thinking style in escalation of commitment. Applied Psychology, 57(2), 246–271. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.2007.00309.x

Wong, K. F. E., Yik, M., & Kwong, J. Y. (2006). Understanding the emotional aspects of escalation of commitment: the role of negative affect. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(2), 282–297. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.91.2.282

Xu, F., & Song, B. (2010). The dynamic incentive and monitor mechanism of government in public-private partnership projects. Chinese Journal of Management Science, 18(3), 165–173.

Xu, L., Liu, N., Zhang, S., Qiu, H., Chen, L., & Wang, Z. (2019). Efficiency and determinants analysis of Chinese infrastructure PPP projects in the construction and operation stages. International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 23(3), 156–170. https://doi.org/10.3846/ijspm.2019.7911

Yuan, J., Li, W., Xia, B., Chen, Y., & Skibniewski, M. J. (2019). Operation performance measurement of public rental housing delivery by PPPs with fuzzy-AHP comprehensive evaluation. International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 23(5), 328–353. https://doi.org/10.3846/ijspm.2019.9820

Zapata Quimbayo, C. A., Mejía Vega, C. A., & Marques, N. L. (2019). Minimum revenue guarantees valuation in PPP projects under a mean reverting process. Construction Management and Economics, 37(3), 121–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2018.1500024

Zhang, G. P., Keil, M., Rai, A., & Mann, J. (2003). Predicting information technology project escalation: a neural network approach. European Journal of Operational Research, 146(1), 115–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-2217(02)00294-1

Zhang, Y., Hou, W., & Qian, Y. (2020). A dynamic simulation model for financing strategy management of infrastructure PPP projects. International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 24(6), 441–455. https://doi.org/10.3846/ijspm.2020.13627

Zhou, Y., & Liu, J. (2021). Influence of government credit risk on PPP projects in operation stage. International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 25(3), 216–227. https://doi.org/10.3846/ijspm.2021.14552