IPI is pleased to announce the launch of a two-part study in 2014, our first self-funded research project.  The research, led by Assistant Professor Sinem Mollaoglu (Korkmaz), Ph D. LEED®AP at Michigan State University (MSU)'s Construction Management Program, will include the completion of a study on "Barriers to Partnering" (expected March 2014) and the Partnering Research Round-up, titled "Evidence-Based Research for Partnering Success Factors" (expected September 2014).

IPI is very excited to take more than twenty years of existing Partnering research and distill it into one document. IPI Executive Director Rob Reaugh said, "More than fifty studies on partnering have been conducted in the U.S. and even more have been completed abroad, but the data has not been rounded up into a single study that looks at what we have  learned.  We are so excited to have such an eminent university research team objectively evaluate these studies.  This will be our first step in identifying success factors of partnering, which we can then simplify to share with our members and the industry at large."

Professor Korkmaz shares, "Construction Partnering is an excellent area for research because the process is intended to help project teams co-create goals and improve much needed team integration in the construction industry.  When a project team creates a charter, they document project goals and then measure progress during the delivery process with a survey (scorecard) tool.  These, in theory and in expert reports, are key monitoring and managing tools for success in interdisciplinary project teams. Short term, we want to identify whether existing research demonstrates benefits and success factors with the use of structured partnering.  Long term, our goal is to better understand how integrated teams behave differently from traditional teams and what effect Partnering has on the level of team integration."

Professor Mollaoglu's primary research focuses on information exchange patterns and the performance of  inter-organizational project teams.  She will oversee work by Anthony Sparkling, a Master's Candidate in Construction Management Program at Michigan State University.

IPI CEO Sue Dyer states, "Becoming a source for cutting edge partnering research has always been the vision for IPI!  We hope that this will be the start of a long-term relationship where IPI sponsors ongoing research studies conducted by MSU."

If you have any questions about the new IPI Research project, would like to get involved with the IPI Research Committee, or if you would like to donate to the effort, please contact us.