Developing an agile oriented project management framework for Malaysian construction industry

Tung, Yew Hou (2026) Developing an agile oriented project management framework for Malaysian construction industry. PhD thesis, UTAR.

PDF Download (2751Kb)

Abstract

Persistent issues in the construction industry—including delays, cost overruns, coordination breakdowns, and limited adaptability—highlight the need for more responsive project management approaches. While Agile methods have demonstrated benefits in managing uncertainty and enhancing collaboration in other industries, their systematic integration within construction remains underexplored, particularly in Malaysia. The absence of validated Agile-oriented practices, limited empirical evidence on their alignment with Agile values and principles, and a lack of understanding of demographic influences underscore a clear research gap and justify the need for this study. The research objectives are to (i) identify common construction project management practices in Malaysia, (ii) examine their alignment with Agile values and Agile principles, (iii) investigate their relationships with project performance, (iv) analyse differences in these practices across practitioner demographics, and (v) develop an Agile-oriented construction project management framework. This study adopted a positivist research philosophy and employed a quantitative research design. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire encompassing Agile values and principles, construction project management practices, and project performance, which was administered to construction practitioners in Malaysia (n = 252). Data preparation involved reliability and validity assessments, followed by descriptive analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), Spearman correlation, Kruskal–Wallis with Dunn-Bonferroni post-hoc tests, and cluster analysis to segment practitioners by agility orientation. The EFA revealed eight Agile-oriented common practices: Resilient Team, Transparent Environment, Progressive Assessment, Adaptive Development, Bespoke Processes, Pragmatic Delivery, Continuous Refinement, and Engaging Stakeholders. Strong positive correlations demonstrated that all eight practices align with Agile values, Agile principles, and project performance. Significant differences were observed across profession, industry experience, designation level, and business nature. Cluster analysis further identified “More Agile” and “Less Agile” practitioner groups, with quantity surveyors, less-experienced practitioners, non-managerial roles, contractors, infrastructure project involvement, and small-to-medium firms exhibiting higher agility orientation. These findings informed the development of an integrated Agile-oriented construction project management framework that links common practices, Agile constructs, project performance, and demographic tendencies. Overall, the study provides empirical evidence that Agile-oriented practices are present within Malaysian construction workflows and can meaningfully enhance project performance when aligned with Agile thinking. The proposed framework contributes theoretical advancement to the Agile-construction domain and offers practical guidance for improving adaptability, collaboration, and delivery effectiveness in the Malaysian construction industry. Keywords: Agile-Oriented Construction Project Management; Malaysian Construction Industry; Project Performance; Practitioner Demographics; Framework Development Subject Area: HD9715-9717.5 Construction Industry

Actions (login required)