Team Relationship and Knowledge Management in Construction Projects in Thailand Part 1: Network Relationship Analysis Using UCINET Software

Problematic relationship within fragmented team structures and inefficient multi-stage project development processes are the two major issues that affect project development performance in the construction industry. The problems are particularly apparent In Thailand’s developing economy. This paper focuses on the study of relationship among construction project team members at the pre-design appraisal development stage as the first step to improve the competitiveness of project development in Thailand’s construction industry. Recently completed large commercial residential projects in Bangkok’s central business district were used as case studies. For the field research, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a selection of client organisations and key project members using a standardised questionnaire to collect relevant quantitative and qualitative data. UCINET, the social network analysis software, was implemented to analyse quantitative data to reveal the relationship characteristics. The transformed aggregate scores of strength and satisfaction of relationship, as well as some of the project network characteristics like low network density (0.2045 out of 1.000) in selected case study projects, did not appear to be very accommodating to the creation of good relationship. Other network characteristics, including high reciprocity (68.75%), above average reachability (8 out of 11), relatively short (1.405) average geodesic distance and small degree centralisation (27% out degree and 37% in degree) suggested a close relationship among key project members. Moreover, supportive personal and subgroup characteristics such as low to average (1 to 6 out of 11) out and in degree centrality and a high clustering coefficients (0.725 out of 1.000) were considered as the key factors to achieving effective knowledge creation and transfer. This will be explored further in part 2 of this research

Concept and Application of UCINET Software to Study Network Relationship in Construction Projects

As extensively recognised in the reviewed literature, the fragmentation of the project development team and the multi-stage project development process are two underlying factors that significantly affect the construction industry’s unsatisfactory performance and competitiveness. The addressed problems are potentially solved by strong network relationship and effective knowledge management at the pre-design appraisal development stage. This paper focuses on the concept and application of UCINET social network software to study quantitative network relationships among appraisal development team members in selected OTL commercial residential projects in Bangkok, Thailand. Key network characteristics like network density, reciprocity, reachability, geodesic distance as well as personal and subgroup characteristics such as degree centrality, network centralisation, clustering coefficients, cliques, ego network and brokerage can be used to improve project development performance and the industry’s competitiveness based on more effective knowledge creation and transfer

Relationship and knowledge management among construction development project members in Thailand: the clients' perspective

The unsatisfactory performance of the construction industry in Thailand is influenced by the fragmented structure and the inefficient multi-stage project development process. Good relationships, the creation of new knowledge and effective knowledge management is crucial particularly at the development appraisal to achieve improved and sustainable performance in the construction industry. This study is an investigation of the relationships among team members and knowledge management practice in Thailand's construction industry. Semi-structured interviews conducted in the field research with a selection of large client organisations revealed that significant close or network relationship exists between clients and key project team members. However, knowledge management practices were heavily influenced by team members' self-centred nature. There is therefore a need to adopt knowledge management practices to improve project performance at the development appraisal stage as this could have significant knock on effects on subsequent stages. Failure to address relationship and knowledge issues could affect the uptake and sale of development projects

Team Relationship and Knowledge Management in Construction Projects in Thailand Part 2: Network Relationship Analysis Using UCINET Software

The study of network relationship using UCINET program in part 1 was inspired by the problematic fragmented structure of a construction project development team. In this paper, the multi-stage project development process as another key factor that underlies the construction industry’s poor performance is addressed. Knowledge management is then proposed as another key solution to achieve the more effective project development in Thailand context. Based on Nonaka and Takeuchi’s 1995 knowledge conversion model, representatives from key project members’ organisations that developed recently complete large commercial residential projects in Bangkok central business area were asked in semi-structured interviews about organisational knowledge management process using a set of standardised questions. The outcomes show the moderate efficiency due to key project members’ unawareness of knowledge potentials. A three-stage framework is also proposed to identify key project members, strengthen network relationship and improve organisational knowledge management capability to achieve the better project development performance