Unpacking the Resource-Based View and Construction Project Management Performance Nexus: Evidence from Nigeria’s Niger Delta

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between resource-based capabilities and construction project management performance in Nigeria's Niger Delta region. Using a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, the research examined how social and organizational intangibilities influence risk management and project design implementation. Data were collected from 166 respondents, comprising project managers (n=94) and community stakeholders (n=72), complemented by 24 semi-structured interviews with key informants. Multiple regression analysis revealed significant relationships between social intangibilities and risk management effectiveness (R²=0.642), with technology adaptation emerging as the strongest predictor (β=0.426, p<0.001). Logistic regression demonstrated that organizational intangibilities, particularly knowledge management systems (OR=2.84, 95% CI: 1.92-4.21), significantly influence project design implementation success. Regional variations in project management performance were observed across the studied states (η²=0.238). The findings extend Resource-Based View theory by demonstrating specific mechanisms through which valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutable resources influence project outcomes in challenging environmental contexts. The study contributes to both theoretical understanding and practical application, offering evidence-based recommendations for enhancing project management performance in deltaic environments.