Achieving Building Sustainability through the Application of Information Systems and Stakeholder Alignment

Creating the conditions for sustainable economic growth within a constantly changing environment is a key concern for government and, as such, developing sustainable buildings is one of the key strategies. This research seeks an understanding of how improved stakeholder alignment impacts the use of information technology (IT) systems deployed in support of building sustainability, from multi-disciplinary perspectives including policy, IT and building. Specifically, this research aims to:(1) investigate how a better understanding of socio-structural patterns influences alignment and, subsequently; (2) how this alignment impacts effective system use and performance outcomes in terms of building sustainability, which involves multiple stakeholders in the construction industry, from government policy makers, designers, constructors, suppliers and end users. The IT alignment literature is dominated by a focus on strategy formulation within relatively simple organisation forms. In contrast, little is known about how stakeholder alignment is enacted to improve the use of mandated IT systems. To address this gap, we: (1) identify the factors that influence the effective use of such IT systems; (2) investigate how strategic alignment among stakeholders within project-related networks impacts on effective use; and (3) propose and test a stakeholder alignment model to explain effective use of a mandated sustainability system within the Australian building industry. By using a government mandatory building sustainability policy, which was implemented through an internet-based IT system as a case example, a conceptual model and research approaches and methods have been developed. The conceptual model includes four dimensions:(1) system quality; (2) user requirements; (3) effective system use; and (4)system performance. The conceptual model also includes direct effect and feedback loops between the four dimensions. The system quality is measured by system usability and system features, while the effective system use is measured by adaptation and learning by multi-stakeholders in relation to their risk tolerance and capability. Both the system quality and effective system use are influenced by user requirements. The system performance (i.e., the building sustainability outcomes) are influenced by user requirements, system quality and system use. To achieve the research aims and test the conceptual model, a three-stage mixed methodology (which includes both qualitative and quantitative methods) is used. The conceptual model and research approaches presented in this paper provide a guide for further research.