The main objective of this paper is to propose a process model for one of the primary strands of the area of knowledge management, i.e. knowledge transfer. A thorough review of literature revealed that the knowledge transfer mechanism is somewhat analogous to the theories of translation and communication. The process model developed in this paper, therefore, builds on and integrates the aforementioned two theories. Knowledge transfer, per se, is not a mere transfer of knowledge. It involves different stages of knowledge transformation. Besides, depending on the context of knowledge transfer, it can also be influenced by many other factors; some positive and some negative. The developed model of knowledge transfer attempts to encapsulate many of these issues in order to create a holistic model.

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Purpose Following the global financial crisis in 2008, the construction sector in UAE has been facing emergent criticisms for growing adversarial culture and rising prevalent claims and disputes between stakeholders. The complex, large size and fast track nature of construction projects in UAE, make project management very challenging under the commonly used traditional procurement routes. This paper aims to examine whether implementing collaborative procurement approaches can facilitate resolving the escalating number of claims and disputes in the UAE construction industry. Design/methodology/approach Considering the nature of the study, a quantitative method was selected to realize the research objectives. The questionnaire was uploaded using an online survey facility and distributed through e-mails and professional networks. The questionnaire was piloted with experts to assess whether the questions are unambiguous, easy to respond and intelligible. The feedback received was mostly positive with few comments and recommendations. The pilot responses were incorporated and the questionnaire was modified before the final sending out. The questionnaire survey consisted of six main sections to fulfill the research objectives. Findings Around three-quarters of the experts believe that the relationship is adversarial, with a lack of trust, win-lose attitude, with dismissive and opportunistic behavior. The survey reveals that the top causes of claims and disputes comprise the following: variations because clients initiated change requests; contractors selection on low bid only rather than including quality and performance considerations; and unfair risk allocation where majority of risks are transferred to contractors. The findings also identify eight collaborative practices, which have crucial positive impacts such as early identification of problems, better communication and enhanced trust and teamwork. Originality/value This research contributes to the enhancement of the management of claims and disputes for construction projects, which encompasses the following: the key characteristics of collaborative arrangements to improve the adversarial construction culture comprise: mutual respect, openness, fairness and non-opportunistic behaviors; the foremost roles of collaborative procurement in reducing claims and disputes embrace: early identification and resolution of problems, enhanced trust and teamwork spirit, improved relationships and better quality communication; the major practical barriers of implementing collaborative approaches incorporate: lack of awareness of their benefits, primitive legal framework of partnering arrangements and lack of transparency in procurement processes.

The UK Construction Industry has been criticized for being slow to change and adopt innovations. The idiosyncrasies of participants, their roles in a social system and the contextual differences between sections of the UK Construction Industry are viewed as being paramount to explaining innovation diffusion within this context. Three innovation diffusion theories from outside construction management literature are introduced, Cohesion, Structural Equivalence and Thresholds. The relevance of each theory, in relation to the UK Construction Industry, is critically reviewed using literature and empirical data. Analysis of the data results in an explanatory framework being proposed. The framework introduces a Personal Awareness Threshold concept, highlights the dominant role of Cohesion through the main stages of diffusion, together with the use of Structural Equivalence during the later stages of diffusion and the importance of Adoption Threshold levels.awareness threshold, cohesion, diffusion of innovations, networks, polymorphic, structural equivalence, thresholds,

In this study, artificial neural networks have been developed to acquire construction knowledge from past projects to integrate buildability considerations into the preliminary structural design process. Four artificial neural network models are presented. These allow the generation of an expeditious solution for given sets of design and buildability constraints. Once information is entered into the models, a recommendation of which structural scheme to choose is generated instantaneously. Thus, valuable design time is released, allowing designers the opportunity to invest in other equally important design tasks. The information entered into the models consists of site‐related information including site access; availability of working space; and speed of erection, and conceptual design information including type of building; number of storeys and gross floor area. The results show that artificial neural networks can be successfully used for the implementation of buildability at the preliminary stage of design.

This paper investigates and evaluates the process of knowledge transfer in construction projects. Due to the highly competitive nature in business environments, knowledge transfer between organisations has become increasingly popular in recent years. However, although organisations can realise remarkable benefits by transferring knowledge from one unit to another, successful knowledge transfer can be difficult to achieve. The discussions presented in the paper are mainly based on findings of two case studies. The two cases were selected from Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects in the UK. According to the case study findings, different stages of a knowledge transfer process can be overlapped, omitted, repeated as well as intermitted and then restarted. One of the significant findings of the case studies was the role of the 'knowledge mediator'. In selected case studies, there were external consultants and expert staff in the form of knowledge mediators. The importance of their roles was frequently highlighted by the interview participants. They were not only facilitating the close liaison between the knowledge source and the receiver, but their role was also strongly associated with practices of translation and interpretation. This combined role of mediator/translator, therefore, appears to be particularly significant for inter-organisational knowledge transfer in PFI projects.

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