Manager perception and decision for making-do in China v.s. In the U.S.

Making-do, a decision to start work despite knowing that preconditions are not fully ready, has been referred as a type of waste in construction projects. It will be interesting and beneficial to understand how project managers make making-do decisions when managing projects in different countries and cultures. This research conducted two surveys, one in China and one in the U.S., to study how making-do decision is made differently in two countries by project managers with various levels of experience and responsibility. The research also examined whether there is significant difference in experienced task starting time and duration variation between people with different making-do preference. Findings showed that there was a significant difference in making-do decision preference for construction managers in China vs. the U.S. However, there was no significant difference on making-do decision preference for managers at different responsibility levels. Results revealed Chinese managers who preferred making-do have experienced significantly higher duration variation while in U.S. the results are opposite. Emphasizing obedience, remaining consistency with peers and supervisors, and constantly checking labor, equipment, and materials availabilities are highly valued in the Chinese culture and management practice, which contributed to the making-do decision outcomes in China vs. the U.S. The findings help project managers to understand the difference and rationale in making-do decisions and have more efficient collaboration and communication when they work in projects located in a foreign country.