Megaprojects, also referred to in the literature as Large Engineering Projects or Major Projects, are generally defined as large-scale investment initiatives worth 1bEURO/$ or more and, facing similar problems independent of the country where they are implemented and the industry they belong to. The common feature of most megaprojects is that they are difficult to design and manage so that their realization and completion is always extremely expensive, often over budget and delivery deadlines also are not met. In the worst-case scenario, they remain unfinished. This book, through its multidisciplinary approach, offers food for thought and alternative interpretations for the complex world of megaprojects. While much research has been conducted and differing approaches have been developed over the last 20 years, there is still a lot of debate surrounding the topic, and a holistic approach for effectively managing these initiatives is still missing. What is clear to all researchers and experts in the field is that a traditional-linear management approach is simply not sufficient, as at many stages of a megaproject, iterative and feedback effect occurs due to stakeholder involvement and increasing and continuous interaction between them. The book promotes the debate among all categories of stakeholders involved in the megaproject's supply chain, in order to increase the awareness of complex phenomena relating to the critical issues and common problems they face, all over the world, and to seek performance improvement across the whole life cycle of a megaproject, including the selection, design, construction, operation and de- commissioning. The multidisciplinary approach cultivated in the book conveys an innovative way to study megaprojects and their inherent complexities.

Digitalization is changing the world of work. Technology is shifting the relationship between workers and machines and how work is organized; new skills are becoming increasingly relevant in the workplace where workers no longer work for a single company, in 9-to-5 jobs, five days a week. Industry 4.0, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, is revolutionizing the way managers can design, control and improve their activities. While the nature of the tasks and the interdependences between individuals are changing, the impact of intelligent technologies is severely questioning the span of control of leaders and the effectiveness of their leadership styles. The authors sketch out the main changes occurring in the business landscape and identify the new expectations that organizations are formulating for leaders across several industries. In an age in which new leadership models are about to emerge, they describe how the relevant changes impact and shape the managerial arena. This book sets the stage for a new way of thinking on the nature of the relationship between HR and technology. It examines the influence of Industry 4.0 and Innovation 4.0, (i.e. the connection between physical and digital processes in industrial production, where human competencies and machine potential are strictly interconnected throughout the entire value chain), from a myriad of viewpoints: namely in terms of structures, practices, influences (learning, training and communication), competencies and roles. A chapter is also dedicated to the understanding of the impact of Innovation 4.0, in the context of European Universities through E-learning Experiences where a multiple-case study analysis is provided.

Digitalization is changing the world of work. Technology is shifting the relationship between workers and machines and how work is organized; new skills are becoming increasingly relevant in the workplace where workers no longer work for a single company, in 9-to-5 jobs, five days a week. Industry 4.0, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, is revolutionizing the way managers can design, control and improve their activities. While the nature of the tasks and the interdependences between individuals are changing, the impact of intelligent technologies is severely questioning the span of control of leaders and the effectiveness of their leadership styles. The authors sketch out the main changes occurring in the business landscape and identify the new expectations that organizations are formulating for leaders across several industries. In an age in which new leadership models are about to emerge, they describe how the relevant changes impact and shape the managerial arena. This book sets the stage for a new way of thinking on the nature of the relationship between HR and technology. It examines the influence of Industry 4.0 and Innovation 4.0, (i.e. the connection between physical and digital processes in industrial production, where human competencies and machine potential are strictly interconnected throughout the entire value chain), from a myriad of viewpoints: namely in terms of structures, practices, influences (learning, training and communication), competencies and roles. A chapter is also dedicated to the understanding of the impact of Innovation 4.0, in the context of European Universities through E-learning Experiences where a multiple-case study analysis is provided.

The book investigates the various aspects characterizing Megaprojects from numerous perspectives and by integrating different disciplines: engineering, economics, business organization, human resource management, law, etc. It represents the first output of MeRIT (the Megaproject Research Interdisciplinary Team), and focuses on the intrinsic and unavoidable complexity of Megaprojects. The chapters have intentionally not been standardized, and humanistic topics are not separated from technical ones: this way of reading and interpreting Megaprojects through the cross-pollination of various disciplines reflects the MeRIT approach. Addressing the complexity involved in Megaprojects requires the use of a hermeneutic circle of sorts: understanding the project as a whole is achieved by referring to the specific parts, while each part can only be understood in relation to the whole. This circular approach appears to be the only one applicable to Megaprojects: no final destination, no final synthesis can be achieved. This volume consists of eight chapters written by researchers in law, economics, sociology, business organization, engineering, architecture and landscaping. The topics covered will be relevant to researchers, practitioners involved in the development of Megaprojects, and policymakers at the EU level.