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Assessing front end engineering design (FEED) accuracy is significant for project owners because it can support informed decision-making, including confidence in cost and schedule predictions. A framework to measure FEED accuracy does not exist in the literature or in practice, not does systematic data directly linking FEED accuracy to project performance. This paper aims to focus first on gauging and quantifying FEED accuracy, and second on measuring its impact on project performance in terms of cost change, schedule change, change performance, financial performance and customer satisfaction.

A novel measurement scheme was developed for FEED accuracy as a comprehensive assessment of factors related to the project leadership and execution teams, management processes and resources; to assess the environment surrounding FEED. The development of this framework built on a literature review and focus groups, and used the research charrettes methodology, guided by a research team of 20 industry professionals and input from 48 practitioners representing 31 organizations. Data were collected from 33 large industrial projects representing over $8.8 billion of installed cost, allowing for a statistical analysis of the framework's impact on performance.

This paper describes: (1) twenty-seven critical FEED accuracy factors; (2) an objective and scalable method to measure FEED accuracy; and (3) data showing that projects with high FEED accuracy outperformed projects with low FEED accuracy by 20 percent in terms of cost growth in relation to their approved budgets.

FEED accuracy is defined as the degree of confidence in the measured level of maturity of the FEED deliverables to serve as a basis of decision at the end of detailed scope, prior to detailed design. Assessing FEED accuracy is significant for project owners because it can support informed decision-making, including confidence in cost and schedule predictions.

FEED accuracy has not been assessed before, and it turned out to have considerable project performance implications. The new framework presented in this paper is the first of its kind, it has been tested rigorously, and it contributes to both the literature body of knowledge as well as to practice. As one industry leader recently stated, “it not only helped to assess the quality and adequacy of the technical documentation required, but also provided an opportunity to check the organization's readiness before making a capital investment decision.”

Asserts that a manufacturing strategy can provide more than reduced production costs. Contends that, effectively implemented, it will prove a competitive weapon to ensure company growth and improve customer related performance. Discusses how five of Britain′s top factories have been successful in achieving this goal, thus remaining competitive with the world′s best. Asserts that TQM has been a major element in all the companies′ strategies. Concludes that defining culture change is hard but common to all five companies was the way they aimed to be the best. Asserts that companies must introduce culture change before facing annihilation by the competition.

This present work aims to report on a study that examines the applicability of Paternalistic Leadership (PL) to public sector organisations in Indonesia. The paper seeks to discuss whether the construct of PL is perceived the same way across different cultures on the basis of an empirically‐based profile of Indonesian public sector leadership developed on the basis of a large‐scale survey carried out in Indonesian government agencies.

The study sample consisted of 1,000 civil servants in the East Java and Jogyakarta Special Region Provinces of Indonesia. Data were collected using simple random sampling techniques. The 42 items in the PL instrument were subjected to explanatory factor analysis (EFA) with variamax rotation. EFA was used to test the degree to which the model of PL proposed by Cheng applied to the Indonesian sample.

Using confirmatory factor analysis the results showed that there are core similarities with the Cheng et al. model which has been tested in Taiwan. The Indonesian benevolent, moral‐leadership behaviour is substantially confirmed with the model adopted for this study. According to civil servants' perception, it seems likely that Indonesian leaders are visible and authoritarian.

The findings are based on a relatively small proportion of the total number of Indonesian civil servants, and focuses on those who are most likely to still uphold Javanese values. Another limitation is in the design of the study, broader focus on PL will allow the study to explain in any detail what the actual impact of PL is on management practices.

This research suggests that people teaching leadership or acting in leadership roles in Indonesia need to develop a clear understanding of the particular values of that country, rather than assuming that all Asian cultures are exactly alike.

The paper adds insight into the applicability of PL in Indonesian public sector organizations.