Hua, Y.; Liu, S.; Zhang, S.; Ma, P. and Guo, W. (2026) Effects of BIM application maturity on cooperative behavior in construction projects: The mediating role of relational governance. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 152(6): 04026078, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Building information modeling (BIM) is a digital platform that integrates multidisciplinary project data to support full-life-cycle collaborative management, and it is a core technology leading the digital transformation of the construction industry. Its application enhances information exchange among stakeholders, transforms interorganizational collaboration and coordination under traditional project models, and influences the cooperative behaviors of project participants. This paper investigated whether BIM application maturity affects participants' cooperative behavior and explored the underlying influence mechanism. Based on social exchange theory, this study proposes that BIM application maturity influences cooperative behaviors through the mediating role of relational governance. An empirical study was conducted using 180 valid questionnaires to test research hypotheses. The results confirm that BIM application maturity has positive effects on both in-role and extra-role behaviors through relational governance. Regarding direct effects, BIM application maturity is positively correlated with relational governance, in-role behavior, and extra-role behavior. Additionally, task interdependence positively moderates the relationship between relational governance and both types of cooperative behaviors. In contrast, quality performance ambiguity significantly moderates the relationship between relational governance and extra-role behavior in a negative direction. This study not only reveals how BIM application maturity influences cooperative behaviors but also provides theoretical guidance and practical support for formulating governance strategies in projects in which BIM is applied.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | building information modeling; application maturity; cooperative behavior; relational governance; transaction characteristics |
| Index terms: | transformation, direct effect, building information modelling, platform, governance, interorganizational, construction industry, social exchange theory, coordination, interdependence, empirical study, quality performance, strategy, project data, collaborative management, information exchange, cooperative behaviour, collaboration, construction project, questionnaire |
| Subjects: | psychology, factor and component analysis, research methods, production management, digital design, data science, project delivery, data collection methods, business, organizational analysis, industry analysis, information systems, management, social theory |
| Topics: | Organizational Design, Digital Applications, Governance, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Quality Management, Project Management |
| 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