Badi, S and Diamantidou, D (2017) A social network perspective of building information modelling in Greek construction projects. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 13(6), pp. 406-422. ISSN 1745-2007
Abstract
Building information modelling (BIM) is a technology promoted by governments as a solution to the problems of inefficient communication and limited collaboration in the construction industry. However, there remains a limited understanding of the changes that BIM introduces to the structure of inter-organizational communication and its impact on project participants' roles and relationships. In this study, these issues are addressed through a comparative study of two construction projects in Greece: one that utilized BIM, and one that did not. Social network analysis (SNA) was employed as an analytical method to examine the inter-organizational communication networks in relation to two types of information exchange - design development and cost management during the design stages of the two projects. Comparative SNA studies were conducted focusing on network density, tie strength, path length, and actor centrality. The research findings revealed the capacity for BIM to improve inter-organizational communication with the BIM-enabled project, exhibiting a higher density of communication, stronger ties, and shorter path lengths between project participants, indicating timely access to higher quality of information. The findings also identified the high centrality of the 'BIM manager' and 'BIM coordinator', demonstrating the effectiveness of these two new roles in managing the flow of communication in construction teams.Building information modelling (BIM) is a technology promoted by governments as a solution to the problems of inefficient communication and limited collaboration in the construction industry. However, there remains a limited understanding of the changes that BIM introduces to the structure of inter-organizational communication and its impact on project participants' roles and relationships. In this study, these issues are addressed through a comparative study of two construction projects in Greece: one that utilized BIM, and one that did not. Social network analysis (SNA) was employed as an analytical method to examine the inter-organizational communication networks in relation to two types of information exchange - design development and cost management during the design stages of the two projects. Comparative SNA studies were conducted focusing on network density, tie strength, path length, and actor centrality. The research findings revealed the capacity for BIM to improve inter-organizational communication with the BIM-enabled project, exhibiting a higher density of communication, stronger ties, and shorter path lengths between project participants, indicating timely access to higher quality of information. The findings also identified the high centrality of the 'BIM manager' and 'BIM coordinator', demonstrating the effectiveness of these two new roles in managing the flow of communication in construction teams.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Greece; building information modelling; construction industry; social network analysis; communication networks; project engineering; modelling; social organization; building management systems |
| Index terms: | comparative study, project engineering, collaboration, construction project, effectiveness, design stage, modelling, social organization, construction industry, design development, inter-organizational communication, manager, building management system, density, building information modelling, communication network, social network analysis, construction team, social network, cost management, information exchange, Greece |
| Subjects: | information systems, industry analysis, sociology, networking, design process, production management, social theory, Geography, research methods, accounting and finance, performance management, management, project delivery, analytical methods, data science, professional practice, control systems, practitioner, integration, research design and methodology, mechanical systems |
| Topics: | Organizational Design, Digital Applications, Urban Studies, Design Practice, Quality Management, Roles and Professions, Cost Management, Engineering Principles, Project Management, Geographical Context, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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