Exploring the Effects of Building Information Modeling on Projects: Longitudinal Social Network Analysis
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 146, Issue 5
Abstract
Building information modeling (BIM), as a technological artifact, has been acclaimed to have significant effects on construction projects by overcoming inherent problems such as poor communications. However, little has been empirically verified. This paper investigates the effects of BIM on construction project organizations using social network analysis (SNA) with empirical data from two comparable projects, one using BIM and the other without. Longitudinal SNAs of both projects showed that BIM is closely related to (1) changing the organizational structure by making it looser and flatter and involving more roles of building service and fewer design-related professionals; (2) showing the potential of increasing communication efficiency; and (3) reorganizing the collaborative processes by shifting most communication among different professions to earlier stages and engaging more roles in early-stage communication. This research not only validates the effects of BIM on projects from an organizational standpoint with SNA method, but also articulates the pathway through which such effects are made.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Data analyzed during the study were provided by a third party. Requests for data should be directed to the provider indicated in the Acknowledgments. Information about the Journal’s data-sharing policy can be found here: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001263.
Acknowledgments
This work is supported by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) General Research Fund (GRF) (Project No.: 17205614). Special thanks to Hong Kong Housing Authority for providing the raw data in this study.
References
Ahuja, G. 2000. “Collaboration networks, structural holes, and innovation: A longitudinal study.” Administrative Sci. Q. 45 (3): 425–455. https://doi.org/10.2307/2667105.
Alvesson, M. 1995. Management of knowledge-intensive companies. New York: De Gruyter.
Apostolato, I. A. 2013. “An overview of software applications for social network analysis.” Int. Rev. Social Res. 3 (3): 71–77. https://doi.org/10.1515/irsr-2013-0023.
Azhar, S., M. Khalfan, and T. Maqsood. 2012. “Building information modelling (BIM): Now and beyond.” Constr. Econ. Build. 12 (4): 15–28. https://doi.org/10.5130/AJCEB.v12i4.3032.
Bakker, R. M., R. J. DeFillippi, A. Schwab, and J. Sydow. 2016. “Temporary organising: Promises, processes, problems.” Organ. Stud. 37 (12): 1703–1719. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840616655982.
Barlish, K., and K. Sullivan. 2012. “How to measure the benefits of BIM: A case study approach.” Autom. Constr. 24 (Jul): 149–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2012.02.008.
Becerik-Gerber, B., K. Ku, and F. Jazizadeh. 2012. “BIM-enabled virtual and collaborative construction engineering and management.” J. Prof. Issues Eng. Educ. Pract. 138 (3): 234–245. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EI.1943-5541.0000098.
Bresnen, M. 1990. Organizing construction: Project organization and matrix management. London: Routledge.
Bryde, D., M. Broquetas, and J. M. Volm. 2013. “The project benefits of building information modelling (BIM)” Int. J. Project Manage. 31 (7): 971–980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2012.12.001.
Burke, C. M., and M. J. Morley. 2016. “On temporary organizations: A review, synthesis and research agenda.” Hum. Relations 69 (6): 1235–1258. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726715610809.
Burt, R. S. 2017. “Structural holes versus network closure as social capital.” In Social capital, 31–56. London: Routledge.
Cerovsek, T. 2011. “A review and outlook for a ‘Building Information Model’ (BIM): A multi-standpoint framework for technological development.” Adv. Eng. Inf. 25 (2): 224–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aei.2010.06.003.
Chinowsky, P. S., J. Diekmann, and J. O’Brien. 2010. “Project organizations as social networks.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 136 (4): 452–458. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000161.
Davies, R., and C. Harty. 2011. “BIM as innovation journey: BIM experiences on a major UK healthcare infrastructure project.” In Proc., 6th Nordic Conf., 13–15. Hørsholm, Denmark: SBI forlag.
DeFillippi, R., and J. Sydow. 2016. “Project networks: Governance choices and paradoxical tensions.” Project Manage. J. 47 (5): 6–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/875697281604700502.
Egan, J. 1998. Rethinking construction. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.
Eisenhardt, K. M. 1989. “Building theories from case study research.” Acad. Manage. Rev. 14 (4): 532–550. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1989.4308385.
Ekbia, H., M. Mattioli, I. Kouper, G. Arave, A. Ghazinejad, T. Bowman, V. R. Suri, A. Tsou, S. Weingart, and C. R. Sugimoto. 2015. “Big data, bigger dilemmas: A critical review.” J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol. 66 (8): 1523–1545. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.23294.
Engwall, M. 2003. “No project is an island: Linking projects to history and context.” Res. Policy 32 (5): 789–808. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-7333(02)00088-4.
Esser, F., and R. Vliegenthart. 2017. “Comparative research methods.” In The international encyclopedia of communication research methods, edited by J. Matthes, C. S. Davis, and R. F. Potter, 1–22. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Faysal, M. A. M., and S. Arifuzzaman. 2018. “A comparative analysis of large-scale network visualization tools.” In Proc., 2018 IEEE Int. Conf. on Big Data, 4837–4843. New York: IEEE.
Flyvbjerg, B. 2006. “Five misunderstandings about case-study research.” Qual. Inq. 12 (2): 219–245. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800405284363.
Gilarranz, L. J., B. Rayfield, G. Liñán-Cembrano, J. Bascompte, and A. Gonzalez. 2017. “Effects of network modularity on the spread of perturbation impact in experimental metapopulations.” Science 357 (6347): 199–201. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aal4122.
Gulati, R. 1995. “Social structure and alliance formation patterns: A longitudinal analysis.” Administrative Sci. Q. 40 (4): 619–652. https://doi.org/10.2307/2393756.
Hobday, M. 2000. “The project-based organization: An ideal form for managing complex products and systems.” Res. Policy 29 (7–8): 190–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-7333(00)00110-4.
Huemann, M., A. Keegan, and R. J. Turner. 2007. “Human resource management in the project-oriented company: A review.” Int. J. Project Manage. 25 (3): 315–323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2006.10.001.
Hughes, J., P. John, and G. Sasse. 2002. “From plan to network: Urban elites and the post-communist organizational state in Russia.” Eur. J. Political Res. 41 (3): 395–420. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6765.00017.
Jacomy, M., T. Venturini, S. Heymann, and M. Bastian. 2014. “ForceAtlas2, a continuous graph layout algorithm for handy network visualization designed for the Gephi software.” PLoS One 9 (6): e98679. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0098679.
Katzir, L., and S. J. Hardiman. 2015. “Estimating clustering coefficients and size of social networks via random walk.” ACM Trans. Web 9 (4): 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1145/2790304.
Kaulio, M. 2018. “A psychological contract perspective on project networks.” Project Manage. J. 49 (4): 81–88. https://doi.org/10.1177/8756972818781713.
Kodama, M. 1999. “Customer value creation through community-based information networks.” Int. J. Inf. Manage. 19 (6): 495–508. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0268-4012(99)00045-6.
Latham, S. M. 1994. Constructing the team. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.
Li, H., W. Lu, and T. Huang. 2009. “Rethinking project management and exploring virtual design and construction as a potential solution.” Constr. Manage. Econ. 27 (4): 363–371. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446190902838217.
Lijphart, A. 1971. “Comparative politics and the comparative method.” Am. Political Sci. Rev. 65 (3): 682–693. https://doi.org/10.2307/1955513.
Liu, Y., S. Van Nederveen, and M. Hertogh. 2017. “Understanding effects of BIM on collaborative design and construction: An empirical study in China.” Int. J. Project Manage. 35 (4): 686–698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2016.06.007.
Lu, W., A. Fung, Y. Peng, C. Liang, and S. Rowlinson. 2014. “Cost-benefit analysis of Building Information Modeling implementation in building projects through demystification of time-effort distribution curves.” Build. Environ. 82 (Dec): 317–327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2014.08.030.
Mignone, G., M. R. Hosseini, N. Chileshe, and M. Arashpour. 2016. “Enhancing collaboration in BIM-based construction networks through organizational discontinuity theory: A case study of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital.” Archit. Eng. Des. Manage. 12 (5): 333–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/17452007.2016.1169987.
Moreno, J. L., ed. 1960. The sociometry reader. New York: Free Press.
Morris, P. W., and J. Geraldi. 2011. “Managing the institutional context for projects.” Project Manage. J. 42 (6): 20–32. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.20271.
Morris, P. W., J. K. Pinto, and J. Söderlund, eds. 2011. The Oxford handbook of project management. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Murray, M., A. Dainty, and D. Moore. 2007. Communication in construction: Theory and practice. New York: Routledge.
NBIMS (National Building Information Modeling Standard). 2010. “National building information modeling standard.” Accessed March 30, 2019. http://www.wbdg.org/pdfs/NBIMSv1_p1.pdf.
Nohria, N., and R. G. Eccles. 1992. Networks and organizations. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Oraee, M., M. R. Hosseini, E. Papadonikolaki, R. Palliyaguru, and M. Arashpour. 2017. “Collaboration in BIM-based construction networks: A bibliometric-qualitative literature review.” Int. J. Project Manage. 35 (7): 1288–1301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2017.07.001.
Papadonikolaki, E., A. Verbraeck, and H. Wamelink. 2017. “Formal and informal relations within BIM-enabled supply chain partnerships.” Constr. Manage. Econ. 35 (8–9): 531–552. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2017.1311020.
Park, J. H., and G. Lee. 2017. “Design coordination strategies in a 2D and BIM mixed-project environment: Social dynamics and productivity.” Build. Res. Inf. 45 (6): 631–648. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2017.1288998.
Pauget, B., and A. Wald. 2013. “Relational competence in complex temporary organizations: The case of a French hospital construction project network.” Int. J. Project Manage. 31 (2): 200–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2012.07.001.
Pinto, J. K., and P. Rouhiainen. 2001. Building customer-based project organizations. New York: Wiley.
Powell, W. W. 1990. “Neither market nor hierarchy: Network forms of organization.” Res. Organizational Behav. 12: 295–336.
Pryke, S. 2012. Social network analysis in construction. Chichester, UK: Wiley.
Pryke, S., S. Badi, and L. Bygballe. 2017. “Editorial for the special issue on social networks in construction.” Constr. Manage. Econ. 35 (8–9): 445–454. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2017.1341052.
Rowlinson, S., and P. McDermott. 2005. Procurement systems: A guide to best practice in construction. London: Routledge.
Sacks, R., C. Eastman, G. Lee, and P. Teicholz. 2018. BIM handbook: A guide to building information modeling for owners, designers, engineers, contractors, and facility managers. New York: Wiley.
Schweber, L., and C. Harty. 2010. “Actors and objects: A socio-technical networks approach for construction management research.” Constr. Manage. Econ. 28 (6): 657–674. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446191003702468.
Scott, J., and P. J. Carrington, eds. 2011. The SAGE handbook of social network analysis. London: SAGE Publications.
Scott, W. R. 2013. Institutions and organizations: Ideas, interests, and identities. 4th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Singh, V., N. Gu, and X. Wang. 2011. “A theoretical framework of a BIM-based multi-disciplinary collaboration platform.” Autom. Constr. 20 (2): 134–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2010.09.011.
Söderlund, J. 2011. “Pluralism in project management: Navigating the crossroads of specialization and fragmentation.” Int. J. Manage. Rev. 13 (2): 153–176. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2010.00290.x.
Steen, J., R. DeFillippi, J. Sydow, S. Pryke, and I. Michelfelder. 2018. “Projects and networks: Understanding resource flows and governance of temporary organizations with quantitative and qualitative research methods.” Project Manage. J. 49 (2): 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/875697281804900201.
Strang, A., O. Haynes, N. D. Cahill, and D. A. Narayan. 2017. “Relationships between characteristic path length, efficiency, clustering coefficients, and graph density.” Preprint, submitted February 3, 2017. http://arxiv.org/abs/1702.02621.
Sydow, J., L. Lindkvist, and R. DeFillippi. 2004. “Project-based organizations, embeddedness and repositories of knowledge.” Organ. Stud. 25 (9) 1475–1489. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840604048162.
Sydow, J., E. Schüßler, and G. Müller-Seitz. 2016. Managing inter-organizational relations: Debates and cases. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Tang, X., J. Wang, J. Zhong, and Y. Pan. 2014. “Predicting essential proteins based on weighted degree centrality.” IEEE/ACM Trans. Comput. Biol. Bioinf. 11 (2): 407–418. https://doi.org/10.1109/TCBB.2013.2295318.
Tavistock Institute. 1966. Interdependence and uncertainty: A study of the building industry. London: Tavistock Institute.
Turner, J. R., and R. Müller. 2003. “On the nature of the project as a temporary organization.” Int. J. Project Manage. 21 (1): 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0263-7863(02)00020-0.
Walker, A. 2015. Project management in construction. 6th ed. New York: Wiley.
Wang, H., W. Lu, J. Söderlund, and K. Chen. 2018. “The interplay be tween formal and informal institutions in projects: A social network analysis.” Project Manage. J. 49 (4): 20–35. https://doi.org/10.1177/8756972818781629.
Winch, G. M. 1989. “The construction firm and the construction project: A transaction cost approach.” Constr. Manage. Econ. 7 (4): 331–345. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446198900000032.
Winch, G. M. 2001. “Governing the project process: A conceptual framework.” Constr. Manage. Econ. 19 (8): 799–808. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446190110074264.
Windeler, A., and J. Sydow. 2001. “Project networks and changing industry practices collaborative content production in the German television industry.” Organ. Stud. 22 (6): 1035–1060. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840601226006.
Wolstenholme, A., et al. 2009. Never waste a good crisis: A review of progress since Rethinking Construction and thoughts for our future. London: Constructing Excellence.
Won, J., and G. Lee. 2016. “How to tell if a BIM project is successful: A goal-driven approach.” Autom. Constr. 69 (Sep): 34–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2016.05.022.
Yin, R. K. 2014. Case study research: Design and methods. 5th ed. Singapore: SAGE Publications.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 146 • Issue 5 • May 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 16, 2019
Accepted: Oct 28, 2019
Published online: Feb 27, 2020
Published in print: May 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Jul 27, 2020
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.