M. Reza Hosseini, Petra Bosch-Sijtsema, Mehrdad Arashpour, Nicholas Chileshe and Christoph Merschbrock
The “virtuality” of a team collaborative interaction is the extent to which it is accomplished in the same place, in fully distributed virtual teams, or in a hybrid combination of…
Abstract
Purpose
The “virtuality” of a team collaborative interaction is the extent to which it is accomplished in the same place, in fully distributed virtual teams, or in a hybrid combination of the two. However, existence, strength and process of potential association between virtuality and effectiveness in construction project teams have remained elusive. This paper aims to address this gap in the literature.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, a conceptual model demonstrating the association between virtuality and effectiveness of teams was developed through integrating the input-process-output (IPO) model and the “Big Five” theory. This conceptual model was contextualised for the construction industry drawing upon conducting 17 semi-structured interviews with hybrid team experts.
Findings
The findings provide the first model mapping the associations between virtuality and dimensions of team effectiveness for the construction context.
Practical implications
The discovered patterns of associations between virtuality and dimensions of effectiveness for hybrid construction project teams (HCPTs) will assist managers in designing and running more effective teams. In addition, the findings help construction practitioners better understand how virtuality influence the performance and satisfaction of team members in HCPTs. The present study concludes with outlining a set of recommendations based on the findings of the study.
Originality/value
As the first study in its kind, the present study offers a new insight into the concept and impacts of virtuality for construction teams and provides instructions and guidelines for designing and maintaining the effectiveness of such teams on construction projects.
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Petra Bosch-Sijtsema, Christina Claeson-Jonsson, Mikael Johansson and Mattias Roupe
This paper aims to focus on 11 digital technologies (i.e. building information modeling, artificial intelligence and machine learning, 3D scanning, sensors, robots/automation…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to focus on 11 digital technologies (i.e. building information modeling, artificial intelligence and machine learning, 3D scanning, sensors, robots/automation, digital twin, virtual reality, 3D printing, drones, cloud computing and self-driving vehicles) that are portrayed in future trend reports and hype curves. The study concentrates on the current usage and knowledge of digital technologies in the Swedish architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry to gain an insight in the possible expectations and future trajectory of these digital technologies.
Design/methodology/approach
The study applies an abductive approach which is based on three different types of methods. These methods are a literature and document study which focused on 11 digital technologies, two workshops with industry (13 participants) and an online survey (N = 84).
Findings
The paper contributes to a current state analysis of the Swedish AEC industry concerning digital technologies and discusses the trajectory of these technologies for the AEC industry. The paper identifies hype factors, in which the knowledge of a digital technology is related to its usage. From the hype factors, four zones that show different stages of digital technology usage and maturity in the industry are induced.
Originality/value
The contribution of the paper is twofold. The paper shows insight into opportunities, the current barriers, use and knowledge of digital technologies for the different actors in the AEC industry. Furthermore, the study shows that the AEC industry is behind the traditional Gartner hype curves and contributes with defining four zones for digital technologies for the Swedish AEC industry: confusion, excitement, experimentation and integration.
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Erik Johansson, Erik Rådman, Hendry Raharjo and Petra Bosch-Sijtsema
This paper aims to identify and prioritize the needs of coworking members. The authors focus on maintaining the existing members rather than attracting new ones.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify and prioritize the needs of coworking members. The authors focus on maintaining the existing members rather than attracting new ones.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use two phases and multiple methods. The first phase focuses on a qualitative approach using observations and interviews to uncover and formulate the members’ needs. The second phase focuses on prioritizing the needs using a quantitative approach.
Findings
The authors discovered 19 member needs from the coworking spaces. Based on an online survey, the authors classified those needs into three main Kano model’s categories.
Originality/value
The resulting member needs and their strategic priorities provide a useful basis for coworking providers to direct their improvement efforts towards achieving greater member satisfaction.
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Daniel Magnusson, Hendry Raharjo and Petra Bosch-Sijtsema
Sustainability is regarded as a core value that the coworking movement aspires to. However, most sustainability efforts focus on the providers’ perspective while neglecting the…
Abstract
Purpose
Sustainability is regarded as a core value that the coworking movement aspires to. However, most sustainability efforts focus on the providers’ perspective while neglecting the coworking members’ role. Therefore, this paper aims to explore sustainable coworking from the members perspective by focusing on sustainable behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a flexible pattern matching approach. Theoretical patterns are identified using literature on coworking space and sustainable behavior while matching them with the empirical data. Data were collected from three different coworking spaces in Sweden through interviews and observations.
Findings
Based on the theoretical patterns, three constructs for sustainable coworking were identified, namely, productive behavior, prosocial behavior and responsible space sharing behavior. Through the empirical data, the constructs were further concretized to understand their different aspects. The findings uncovered a new layer of complexity where members can show the same behavior and be perceived differently.
Originality/value
This study offers a more holistic understanding of sustainable coworking by highlighting the members’ role and identifying different member perceptions on sustainable coworking behaviors.
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Petra M. Bosch‐Sijtsema, Virpi Ruohomäki and Matti Vartiainen
Knowledge work (KW) is a well‐researched topic. However, KW is difficult to measure and little consensus has been reached on elements that affect knowledge work productivity on a…
Abstract
Purpose
Knowledge work (KW) is a well‐researched topic. However, KW is difficult to measure and little consensus has been reached on elements that affect knowledge work productivity on a team level. The current theories neglect teams working in distributed geographical areas. The purpose of the paper is to integrate recent literature on knowledge work productivity (KWP) in distributed teams and give an overview of the elements affecting it.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents an overview of research performed in the field of knowledge work productivity. The authors integrate theories of different fields of management theory (knowledge management, intellectual capital and learning), and work and organizational psychology. This paper answers three questions: What is knowledge work? What is knowledge work productivity? Which elements hinder or enable knowledge work productivity in distributed teams of global technology companies?
Findings
The authors define the crucial elements that either hinder or enable KWP: team tasks, team structure and processes, the physical, virtual and social workspaces as well as organizational context. The paper presents an integrative model of KWP in distributed teams of global technology companies.
Practical implications
Distributed teams are common in global companies. By understanding the elements that affect KWP, companies can stimulate or decrease specific elements in order to improve productivity of their distributed knowledge workers.
Originality/value
This paper integrates theories from different disciplines in order to create an understanding about knowledge work and its productivity for further research.
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Maria Mercedes Martinez Sanz and Isabel Ortiz-Marcos
Knowledge is recognized to be a key asset to achieve the strategic objectives of an organization. To that end, it is necessary to count on governance mechanisms that ensure the…
Abstract
Purpose
Knowledge is recognized to be a key asset to achieve the strategic objectives of an organization. To that end, it is necessary to count on governance mechanisms that ensure the alignment between the knowledge resources and processes and the business strategy. Given that knowledge management is often performed by project management offices (PMOs), the purpose of this paper is to explore if the dimensions for PMOs governance suggested in the literature are also valid for knowledge governance and what problems do exist.
Design/methodology/approach
This research has been done using case study methodology. A large complex project in the IT industry was deeply analyzed. This project brings together most of the elements that can be found in current organizational contexts (e.g. geographical dispersed project teams, multicultural environment, technical complexity, etc.), thus reinforcing the applicability of the results obtained.
Findings
The study findings indicate that knowledge flows between PMOs take place along the dimensions defined for PMO governance, thus confirming the suitability of those dimensions also for the governance of knowledge. This research also validates the connection between the barriers to knowledge sharing and the knowledge governance mechanisms, and provides empirical evidence of the importance of informal knowledge governance to foster knowledge sharing behaviors. This is of key importance to overcome daily operational issues. The observations made are, in fact, valuable lessons learnt for future projects and a valuable input for further research.
Originality/value
This study explores the similarities between PMOs governance and knowledge governance in multi-PMO settings on the basis of a case study, thus contributing additional empirical data to the literature. Previous work with this approach has not been found.