Understanding Critical Variables Contributing to Competitive Advantages of International High-Speed Railway Contractors

Abstract

This article is devoted to identifying and explaining the critical variables contributing to competitive advantages in international High-Speed Railway (HSR) projects from the contractor’s perspective. A total of 24 variables were identified by the literature review and a pilot study. An international questionnaire survey was performed to obtain professional opinions from both practitioners and the academy. The 24 variables were ranked and clustered into 6 factors using exploratory factor analysis. Furthermore, a case study of the Early Train Operator project of the California HSR was carried out by the survey, interview, and first-hand data. The results indicated that the top six ranked variables are (1) None Accident History, (2) Eligibility & International Criteria, (3) Contract Reputation, (4) Marketing Strategy, (5) Risk Management Capability, and (6) Technical Responsiveness. Furthermore, the 24 variables are grouped into six dimensions: Glocalization, Marketing, Safety, Economics, Technology, and Responsibility. The case study indicated that the factor framework was suitable and tractable for the application. The findings of this paper could (1) assist international HSR contractors in obtaining a better understanding of the deeper determinates of competitive advantages and (2) serve as a valuable reference for developing their competitive advantages in the international HSR market.

Exploring Critical Factors Affecting Contractors’ Coopetition Relationship in International Construction Projects

“…e competitiveness of a contractor in the international engineering market can be greatly enhanced if the contractor has technical innovation capabilities that are not available to other international contractors [65]. When contractors are able to complete technically challenging projects on their own, companies compete more than they cooperate [66].…”

Achieving transient competitive advantage in high‐speed rail projects bidding: Sustainable development perspective

“…However, many factors are influencing the bidding result. For example, Niu et al suggested six critical success factors for international HSR contractors (Niu et al, 2019). They are globalization, marketing, safety, economics, technology, and responsibility.…”

“…Thirdly, competition on the HSR project encompasses cross‐industry issues such as construction, manufacturing, financial, commercial, managerial, and training aspects (Niu, Deng, Zhang, & Duan, 2019; UIC, 2015). For satisfying the clients' tendering requirements, players have to cooperate with companies from other industries and to form a cross‐industry joint venture (Zhou, Deng, Jin, & Chang, 2019).…”

Determinants for Coopetition Strategies of International Joint Ventures in High-Speed Railway Projects

“…High-speed railway (HSR) is a fast, convenient, and green transportation, so more and more countries have been making HSR plans (Chou et al, 2012;Niu et al, 2019). As of February 2020, the total length of HSR worldwide is 52484 km in operation, 11960 km under construction, 11383 km of an approved plan, and 28586 km of longterm planning (Union Internationale des Chemins de fer [UIC], 2020).…”