Le, Ngoc Quyet (2021) Building information modelling (BIM) adoption and implementation: Interaction between BIM specialists and non-BIM specialists in Vietnam. PhD thesis, University of Technology Sydney, Australia.
Abstract
Building Information Modelling (BIM) offers a digital platform for the integration of all project related information to facilitate effective communication vital to the success of construction projects. Recognising the importance of BIM in construction projects the Vietnamese government issued a mandate in 2016 requiring all public and “first category” projects (buildings which are 20 floors and greater or with a floor area greater than 20,000 square metres) to be implemented using BIM by 2021. This mandate and its implementation provide the context for this research. This study introduces the combination of Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOIT) and Activity Theory (AT) as a theoretical framework to investigate the current implementation of BIM in the Vietnamese context. Using a qualitative approach, 17 case studies from medium to large sized Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) firms were studied to present a comprehensive understanding of the current status of BIM practices in the construction industry in Vietnam. The units of analysis for this study were BIM specialists and non-BIM specialists working in the case studies as their roles are essential for the appropriate use of BIM in projects. 67 semi-structured interviews were used as the main instrument to collect data from these specialists. The data was analysed using a thematic analysis method aided by qualitative analysis software NVivo. An interpretive framework combining DOIT and AT was used as a lens to identify the main themes of this research. The identified themes (i. e. the major findings) were then developed and reported including perspectives of BIM and non-BIM specialists on the BIM profession, the collaboration using BIM and the responses to contradictions emerging during BIM collaboration activities. The significant contribution of this study arises from the development and application of the combined DOIT and AT framework which potentially assists the Vietnamese Government and AEC firms to examine BIM interactions in the context of recent BIM mandate. Many sources of conflicts during BIM interactions could be well defined under the lens of the framework and this creates conditions for planning BIM mediation. This study also contributes to research methodology as it applied the systematic combining research process (i. e. abductive approach) in which the initial theory (e. g. DOIT) is not fixed but evolves through on-going case analysis, the revision of literature and the combination with other theory (e. g. AT). In addition to the popularly inductive or deductive approach, abductive approach provides a more creative and flexible mode to gain insights of empirical phenomena and their contexts, in particular the issues on innovation adoption in fast moving digital era.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Er, M and Sankaran, S |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Vietnam; abductive approach; building information modelling; case studies; collaboration; communication; conflicts; diffusion of innovation; government; innovation; innovation theory; integration; mediation; qualitative analysis; thematic analysis |
| Index terms: | building information modelling, platform, case study, innovation adoption, activity theory, qualitative approach, profession, research methodology, abductive approach, construction industry, implementation, interaction, diffusion of innovation, mandate, interview, Vietnam, mediation, innovation theory, systematic combining, construction project, collaboration, integration, qualitative analysis, thematic analysis |
| Subjects: | institututions, innovation studies, contractual arrangements, Geography, production management, digital design, theoretical framing, research methods, behavioral psychology, dispute resolution, data collection methods, research design and methodology, methods and analysis, professional development, management, industry analysis, political science, information systems, organizational analysis |
| Topics: | Procurement, Geographical Context, Project Management, Legal Issues, Roles and Professions, Governance, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Information Management, Organizational Design, Digital Applications |
| 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