How to make project plans trustworthy: An investigation based on multi-criteria contractor selection

The development of an optimum project plan is widely favoured by project owners as the path to the successful delivery of a project. This study aims to investigate the effect of multiple contractor evaluation criteria on the relationship between the quality of project plans and bidding outcomes for bidders. Based on signaling theory, we examine the main effects of project plan quality on bidding outcomes and the moderating effects of prior performance, quotation and advice quality. Data analysis of 614 construction projects shows that when a bidder has the lowest quotation, the positive effect of the quality of the project plan on the likelihood of being selected is significantly reduced. The moderating effects of advice quality and lowest quotation are contingent on the bidder’s prior performance. This study contributes to contractor selection in the construction industry by revealing how evaluation criteria jointly affect project owners’ trust in high-quality project plans.