Understanding BIM’s impact on professional work practices using activity theory

Abstract

Recent critiques of the BIM literature describe it as largely devoid of critical theoretical perspectives and theorisation capable of explaining the nature of change in work practices in a holistic manner. In response, the authors argue from a theoretical standpoint, that implementing BIM within professional work practices (as activity systems) induces their evolution through dysfunctions created within the systems and their resolution. Cases of professional organisations in South Africa that have implemented BIM within their organisation and in multi-organisational projects, helped to develop new theoretical insights into how professional work practices evolve using activity theory-based re-description of the data. Changes in professional work practices were analysed sequentially within the framework, confirming theoretical propositions and revealing the dynamics between and within the interconnected system of actors, their object, tools, rules guiding work, roles they assume, and the stakeholders. Essentially, the findings imply that the implementation ofBIM significantly changes work practices within organisations, but gradually and over time. This supports an evolutionary, rather than a radical or revolutionary, view ofBIM-induced change. This theoretical perspective could explain future dimensions of change in professional work practices involving BIM, and indeed similar work mediating tools.

Distilling agency in BIM-induced change in work practices

“…Drawing from the above, we generate the final model in the iteration of the framework as shown in Figure 6, revealing the nature of change agency within the developing model of change in work practices and emphasizing the role of BIM authoring/management tools’ developers in stimulating change in the way work is done in the industry. This reinforces the suggestions of a subtle, unintended and often unnoticed technology push scenario, as proposed by Sherratt et al (2020) and the earlier theoretical positions of Akintola et al (2020).…”

“…This analysis fits into the current theoretically-founded BIM discourse (Akintola et al , 2017, 2020; Çıdık et al , 2017; Dainty et al , 2017; Papadonikolaki et al , 2019; Poirier et al , 2017; Sherratt et al , 2020). It provides a new theoretical account of work practice change dynamics within professional consulting organizations when BIM is implemented.…”

“…The critical gap is, first, one of a theoretical nature the need for nuance in the existing and emerging explanations of the diverse forms of change the industry is experiencing. This is also evident, for instance, in the recent BIM literature (Akintola et al , 2017, 2020; Çıdık et al , 2017; Dainty et al , 2017; Fox, 2014; Papadonikolaki and Wamelink, 2017; Sherratt et al , 2020). It is with this ongoing theoretical discourse that we have sought to engage.…”

BIM policy and management

“…By analyzing the data, they were able to identify delayed data provision as a major source of inefficiency in the BIM process, thereby, revealing the pivotal role of the procurement structure and suggesting the need for the timely involvement of key project participants. Akintola et al (2020) criticize the lack of theoretical perspectives capable of explaining the nature of change in work practices involved in BIM adoption. The authors argue that implementing BIM within professional work practices induces their evolution through dysfunctions created within the systems and their resolution.…”

Process Reengineering using Activity Theory and Domain Mapping Matrix Method in Delivering Public Construction Projects

“…It gives an opportunity to conduct thorough scientific analysis of complex phenomena while avoiding mechanistic oversimplifications [11]. Activity theory showed its effectiveness in solving problems that related to lack of coordination and communication between stakeholders in an activity system by analysing and modelling of the contradiction in the system [15]. Further this theory provides framework for guiding the system through process changes by dealing with contradictions and disturbances within and between the constitutes of the system, and enabling the adaption of new situations [16,17].…”