Shared Mental Models and Inter-organizational AEC Project Teams

Abstract

Shared Mental Models (SMM) is a well-established concept in cognitive psychology with strong links to team performance. Despite the extensive body of research in this area, the literature still presents varied perspectives and definitions for the SMM construct. Also, SMM empirical studies are limited to mostly the investigations of small disciplinary teams and are underutilized for inter-organizational project teams, such as those in the Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. This study presents a detailed review of SMM literature resulting in a comprehensive framework and discusses the implications of SMM on AEC project teams, making a case for integrated project delivery. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a theoretical lens of SMM through which to analyze the AEC literature related to project delivery processes.