Semantic Network Analysis of Lean Construction Literature

Abstract

Lean Construction is a philosophy grounded in production theory that play a crucial role in promoting efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective practices across the Construction and Engineering Management (CEM) sector. To understand its impact, it is important to analyze the related concepts, synergies, information gaps, potential research paths, and new terms associated with such domain. Therefore, this research paper aims to develop a graphical and quantitative analysis of the LC literature using Semantic Network Analysis (SNA). The analysis builds a large network of interactions between concepts related to the implementation of the LC philosophy in construction projects, offering a novel perspective on reviewing the LC literature. It provides metrics and graphical tools to characterize, quantify, and interpret LC concepts such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), Last Planner System (LPS), and Sustainable Construction, and enables the observation of emerging relationships with opposing concepts such as Earned Value Management (EVM) or information gaps related to Risk Assessment, Decision-Making, or Planning Reliability, which are equally crucial for the implementation of CEM. Overall, this study offers valuable contributions to the IGLC community by providing new perspectives on potential research routes and emerging concepts in the LC literature. It achieves this by synthesizing the relationships between LC ideas and concepts that are not traditionally connected to LC principles, such as Earned Value Management (EVM).