IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/rptpxx/v22y2021i4p537-555.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Explaining Uncertainty Avoidance in Megaprojects: Resource Constraints, Strategic Behaviour, or Institutions?

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas Machiels
  • Tine Compernolle
  • Tom Coppens

Abstract

This paper asks why uncertainties are avoided in dominant megaproject practice while planning scholars are increasingly advocating adaptive planning and uncertainty acknowledgement. We propose a novel analytical framework to explain uncertainty avoidance, consisting of two current explanations – resource constraint and strategic behaviour models – and a complementary institutional model. We apply the framework to a seaport megaproject in Flanders to test its validity. Results show that the institutional model increases our understanding of uncertainty avoidance. More attention to planning institutions and far-reaching institutional changes are required to facilitate a move towards uncertainty acknowledgement and adaptive planning.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Machiels & Tine Compernolle & Tom Coppens, 2021. "Explaining Uncertainty Avoidance in Megaprojects: Resource Constraints, Strategic Behaviour, or Institutions?," Planning Theory & Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(4), pages 537-555, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rptpxx:v:22:y:2021:i:4:p:537-555
    DOI: 10.1080/14649357.2021.1944659
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/14649357.2021.1944659
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/14649357.2021.1944659?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Papamichail, Theodora & Perić, Ana, 2023. "Action-oriented planning methods as a tool for improving regional governance in Switzerland: Evidence from the Sisslerfeld area," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    2. Akse, Ruben & Veeneman, Wijnand & Marchau, Vincent & Ritter, Simone, 2023. "Governance of uncertainty in implementing mobility innovations: A comparison of two Dutch cases," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:rptpxx:v:22:y:2021:i:4:p:537-555. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/rptp20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.