Impacts of Isomorphic Pressures on BIM Adoption in Construction Projects
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 140, Issue 12
Abstract
Drawing on institutional theory, this study examines how three types of isomorphic pressures (i.e., coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures) impact building information modeling (BIM) adoption activities in construction projects. The effects of these pressures are empirically tested with survey data collected from 92 construction projects in China. The results from partial least squares analyses indicate that coercive and mimetic pressures both significantly influence the extent of project-level BIM adoption. However, this study does not find support for a significant influence of normative pressures. The results further indicate that client/owner support plays a crucial but varied mediating role in the influences of these different isomorphic pressures. This study reinforces the need to regard project BIM adoption as a complexly socialized activity that is not only motivated by participants’ rational needs to proactively address internal process problems, but also driven by external isomorphic pressures related to the acquisition of institutional legitimacy. The findings also provide insights into how different types of institutional forces can be better manipulated to facilitate the diffusion of BIM in the construction industry.
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Acknowledgments
This research has been supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 71272046) and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Grant No. 2011DFG73520). The authors are grateful to the respondents for their participation in this research investigation, as well as Cheryl Chi, Dan Tan, Meiyan Fan, and Wei Lei at Tongji University for their valuable assistance during the research design and data collection processes. The authors also would like to thank the editor and the reviewers for their helpful suggestions.
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Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 140 • Issue 12 • December 2014
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 28, 2014
Accepted: May 30, 2014
Published online: Jul 7, 2014
Published in print: Dec 1, 2014
Discussion open until: Dec 7, 2014
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