Abstracts – Browse Results

Search or browse again.

Click on the titles below to expand the information about each abstract.
Viewing 1 results ...

Bageis, A S O (2008) Contractors' decision to bid: development of a bid/no bid strategic decision model, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of the Built Environment , Heriot-Watt University.

  • Type: Thesis
  • Keywords: bidding; complexity; contractor; decision-making; modelling; prototype development; Saudi Arabia
  • ISBN/ISSN:
  • URL: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.493382
  • Abstract:
    Bidding for inappropriate projects may result either in large losses or consumption of time and resources that could be invested in more profitable projects. The high complexity of process is a major characteristic of bidding decision, which involves a large quantity of objectives and reflection of several internal and external factors. Risk is in place where the rational basis is absent at the time of making this decision; hence the possible negative consequences of such a decision may emerge. The overall aim of this study is to facilitate the contractors' decision to bid; development of a bid/no bid strategic decision model. The research also aimed to achieve the following targeted knowledge (objectives) as a part of this research study: establishing a link between the company strategy and the bid/no bid decision; establishing a framework and tools that helps the contractors to illustrate their strategies' policies regarding the bid/no bid decision, establishing a method that provides information - about the current situation of the company - needed to support the bidding decision, and constructing a computer-based application that facilitating the process of making the bid/no bid decision and accommodating the methods mentioned above. The researcher's philosophical perspective developed out of the philosophy of pragmatism. The adoption of a pragmatic philosophical perspective allowed the qualitative approach to be the general or overall research approach, and allowed quantitative approach to be used where needed as appropriate. At the same time the developed model will go more towards more ideal situation. The main results of the research provided evidence that the weights of importance of the factors affecting the bid/no bid decisions are inconsistent. The decision proved to be associated and influenced by two areas: the company strategy and the company's current situation. The practice of making the bid/no bid decision in Saudi Arabia is explored and the priority-setting behaviour of the decision-maker is explained. A computer-based model is developed and then a PHP application is designed and validated by Saudi's contractors. It is found that the developed model obtained its strength from the comprehensiveness of the developed processes and from the establishment of the bridge between the company strategy with the bid/no bid decision process.