Seki, Y; Sutrisna, M and Olanipekun, A O (2021) Integrating a rich picture diagram and causal loop diagram to model stakeholder engagement in building refurbishment projects. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 28(7), pp. 1929-1951. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: The more contemporary views on managing projects recommend stakeholder engagement as an important part of the process. Challenges have been reported when attempting to involve project stakeholders in a construction project due to the complexity of the processes. In projects such as refurbishment projects, the efforts to incorporate end users' needs and preferences into spatial environmental functions increase the complexity of stakeholder engagement during the journey of the project. This paper presents a unique technique used to integrate different tools within the system enquiry methodology in modelling the project stakeholder engagement process for refurbishment projects. Design/methodology/approach: Aiming to address the problem, system dynamics (SD) has been selected as the most suitable method for modelling the dynamic behaviour of this complex system over time. A tool known as a rich picture diagram (RPD) is proposed as the precursor of the development of a causal loop diagram (CLD) to facilitate a more holistic abstraction for applicable solutions. An example of a single case study involving the refurbishment of a higher education building project is presented to explain the analysis undertaken in the process of developing the CLD that models the dynamic behaviour within end-user stakeholder engagement. Findings: This paper demonstrates the complementarity capabilities of the soft and hard systems of enquiry in modelling stakeholder's dynamics within the refurbishment construction contexts. The RPD soft system tool was found useful to congregate diverse stakeholder expressions and experiences of a complex system in a holistic manner. Subsequently, the development of the CLD was fully guided by the information and relationship captured and presented in the RPD to yield a representative system model. Furthermore, this paper also reports the dynamics of the actors, situations, events and their inter-relationship found in the presented refurbishment project. Originality/value: This paper enriches the techniques within the system enquiry methodology by integrating hard and soft system tools for dynamic process modelling purposes. This is particularly achieved by utilizing the RPD as the precursor of SD that provides a useful way for researchers and stakeholders to fully understand the dynamics and develop robust systemic interventions to optimize end-user stakeholder engagement during the journey of refurbishment projects, particularly of higher education buildings.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | building refurbishment; causal loop; end user; higher education; rich picture diagram; stakeholder engagement; system dynamics |
| Index terms: | system dynamics, case study, construction project, project stakeholder, methodology, preference, building refurbishment, complexity, complex system, refurbishment project, higher education, process modelling, end user, modelling, stakeholder engagement, dynamics |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, asset management, design analysis, infrastructure engineering, educational institutions, analytical methods, decision-making and reasoning, production management, research methods, sociology, community and social dimensions, stakeholder, computing systems, systems engineering |
| Topics: | Digital Applications, Roles and Professions, Business Strategy, Education, Engineering Principles, Stakeholder Management, Research Practice, Project Management, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here