Co-evolution of Project Stakeholder Networks

Authors

  • Ong Stephen School of Project Management, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sydney, Australia
  • Shahadat Uddin School of Project Management, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sydney, Australia Australia

Abstract

Oftentimes a multitude of stakeholders from different backgrounds engage in projects from the onset through to the completion phase. These stakeholders not only offer unique qualities and viewpoints as well as diversely contribute to the success of a project, but simultaneously possess contrasting interests. The presence of common interests serves as the catalyst to the development and formation of what are known as stakeholder networks. Different networks of such evolve and re-develop throughout the different phases of a project. In this study, we aim to explore the impact on a corresponding network that a pre-existing network exerts onto another when the same set of nodes or actors are present. We also explore the impact that stakeholder attributes have on this co-evolution and co-development process. We used the method and concept of social network analysis to construct different stakeholder networks. The social network methods of network correlation and regression have been used to explore the co-evolution of two different stakeholder networks. Results show that different stakeholder networks among the same stakeholders do indeed co-evolve and that socio-demographic factors significantly influence the outcome of this stakeholder network development.

Author Biographies

  • Ong Stephen, School of Project Management, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sydney, Australia

    Stephen is currently working within the industry of Project Management as well as within the professions of Engineering and Architecture. He has degrees and academic background at the University of Sydney from the disciplines of Architecture, Engineering as well as Project Management which allows him to offer unique perspectives and approaches. He is the recipient of several awards and scholarships.

  • Shahadat Uddin, School of Project Management, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sydney, Australia Australia

    Dr Shahadat Uddin is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Sydney, Australia. He conducts research in complex networks, data science, artificial intelligence and project analytics. His research addresses interdisciplinary issues related to how networks evolve in complex, dynamic and distributed environments, and the impact of individual actors to this evolution. Dr Uddin has published in several international and multi-disciplinary journals, including Expert Systems with Applications, Complexity, International Journal of Medical Informatics, Scientific Reports and Journal of Informetrics. Dr Uddin has been awarded many academic awards for his outstanding research excellence, including Campus Director Leadership Award (Central Queensland University 2006), Certificate for Research Excellence (University of Sydney 2010), Dean’s Research Award (University of Sydney, 2014).

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Published

2022-05-20

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 1 (2020): The Journal of Modern Project Management

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Articles-JMPM

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Copyright (c) 2022 Ong Stephen, Shahadat Uddin

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How to Cite

Co-evolution of Project Stakeholder Networks. (2022). The Journal of Modern Project Management, 8(1). https://journalmodernpm.com/manuscript/index.php/jmpm/article/view/JMPM02306