Martin, L and Hartmann, A (2010) Understanding knowledge creation in construction: Activity theory as an alternative approach. In: Egbu, C (ed.) Proceedings of 26th Annual ARCOM Conference, 6-8 September 2010, Leeds, UK.
Abstract
Organizational learning is widely acknowledged as being key for businesses to improve their competitiveness. It has attracted researchers from different disciplines and in the Construction Management domain various authors have also investigated learning and innovation events. Some authors have relied on the SECI model by Nonaka as starting points for mapping such knowledge creation in construction. An alternative approach to understand learning, the Activity theory, is presented. Activity theory has its origin in Russian psychology and was firstly applied in education, but is more and more used to describe team and organization based learning. Since it regards human activities as socially created and historically embedded it allows for an alternative social constructivism perspective on learning and knowledge creation within the construction sector. Previously identified publications using the SECI model are re-analyzed and synthesized using the Activity theory. While not all publications allow for a conclusive assessment due to a lack of details on reported learning events, some first observations on the suitability but also limitations of the Activity theory can be made. Activity theory might be of use for a better in-depth understanding of particular learning events.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | learning; organizational learning |
| Index terms: | organizational learning, activity theory, mapping, competitiveness, suitability, construction sector, psychology, human activity, publication, knowledge creation |
| Subjects: | professional development, theoretical framing, spatial and geospatial analysis, design criteria, industry analysis, behavioral psychology, market analysis, sociology, research dissemination and communication, knowledge management |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Information Management, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
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