Freelance expats play key role in mega infrastructure projects in India: IIT Madras study

A study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras has revealed that freelance expatriates hired by the Indian public sector clients play a crucial role in the smooth execution of ‘vanguard’ or ‘first of their kind’ infrastructure projects in India.

The challenges faced during initial stages of infrastructure vanguards in India were studied by the researchers and how different views were negotiated for the smooth management of these projects was observed.

The paper revealed that most conflicts were resolved by a group of project participants who were freelance expatriates hired by the Indian public sector clients.

Empirical data from two metro rail mega projects in India that were part of the Delhi Metro was studied by Prof Ashwin Mahalingam, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras. The analysis was done to conceptualise impasses arising due to contradictions in institutionalised logics relating to work practices used by various organisations.

The study showed that contradictory logics can lead to two types of voids, ‘horizontal’ or process-based institutional voids, and ‘vertical’ or role/hierarchy-based institutional voids. These voids must be successfully managed to ensure project progress.

It was observed that the expatriates resolved conflicts using three sets of coping strategies, namely, re-architecting transaction spaces, reinforcing hierarchy, and mediation.

In re-architecting transaction spaces, freelance expatriates helped change the way information flowed during approval processes for payments for instance.

In the case of reinforcing hierarchy, the expatriates pushed to speed up the construction process by escalating matters up the chain of command till the matter reached progress-focused decision makers.

The expatriates also played the role of mediators by presenting more information and creating a dialogue between opposing sides. Their credibility, organizational affiliation with the client and their professional affiliation with expatriates working on the contractor’s side helped them play the role of a mediator.

Prof. Mahalingam explained that expatriates are often hired for their technical skills but their outcome-aligned incentives and their ability to connect with other expatriates on the contractors' side helps them play a critical role in resolving conflicts on projects.

He hopes that this paper will help practitioners better anticipate the challenges of megaprojects and use the identified strategies to cope with these challenges.