Zomer, T; Neely, A; Sacks, R and Parlikad, A (2020) Exploring the influence of socio-historical constructs on BIM implementation: An activity theory perspective. Construction Management and Economics, 39(1), pp. 1-20. ISSN 01446193
Abstract
Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been widely seen as bringing a paradigm change to the construction industry. However, scholars have acknowledged that neither widespread BIM implementation nor the envisaged systemic changes within the sector have taken place. Despite acknowledging that the industry’s conditions and embedded contexts shape innovation diffusion, existing studies have not explored in any depth “how” the context might influence the episode of change when a new technology is introduced and the new practices accompanying that technology and old practices co-evolve. By adopting activity theory, its concepts of contradictions and multiple layers within the activity system, in this paper, we explore the interaction between situated and existing practices, or the “how” of implementation; that is, how the activity system is questioned and redefined during an episode of technological change. Drawing on data from multiple case studies, our findings demonstrate that situated practices related to the definition of information requirements, and the production and the handover of information were re-enacted following institutionalised socio-historical constructs (e.g. norms, rules, division of labour) at the industry and organisational levels. The findings provide insights regarding the inertia in the transformation of the sector as also deriving from re-enactments of socio-historical constructs that mediate the institutionalisation of situated practices. Our findings reveal re-enactment as part of the transformation process and contribute to calls for more realistic views on BIM implementation.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | activity theory; BIM; BIM mandate; change management; sector transformation |
| Index terms: | case study, new technology, building information modelling, division of labour, transformation, institutionalization, activity theory, technological change, paradigm, implementation, interaction, construction industry, mandate, innovation diffusion, drawing, change management, norms |
| Subjects: | innovation studies, data collection methods, business, innovation and technology management, contractual arrangements, technical documentation, education and knowledge transfer, theoretical framing, management, industry analysis, information systems, behavioral psychology, political science, business economics, sociology |
| Topics: | Organizational Design, Design Practice, Digital Applications, Procurement, Governance, Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Engineering Principles, Business Strategy |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
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