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Abstract
Social network analysis (SNA) has gained increasing academic attention in the construction domain over the past two decades due to its capability to characterize the complexity and dynamics of interindividual and interorganizational interactions. To date, however, scant attempt has been made to develop an integrated framework to systematically review the diversified network research at different levels in this domain and to quantitatively characterize the evolution of related research interests and research instruments. This study aims to fill this gap by conducting a bibliometric-qualitative review based on 106 papers published from 1997 to 2020. Keyword cooccurrence analysis is employed to reveal the research foci, identify the research trends, and develop a comprehensive categorization framework, which classifies related research based on two interrelated dimensions: the type of network node (individual and organization) and the levelof network analysis (project level, corporate level, and industry level). The framework then facilitates further content analysis in terms of research topics, research designs, and research instruments. The results provide evidence that the research foci in this domain are generally moving towards addressing the complexity and dynamics of project-related relations at more diversified levels, in terms of not only research topics but also research instruments. Future research can be enriched by investigating the multiple types of dynamic interproject relationships, adopting state-of-the-art methodologies for network data collection and triangulation, and employing multiple SNA constructs and inferential statistical methods to reveal how complex networks coevolve and interact with actors’ behaviors as well as project and organizational outcomes.
Highlights
As a pillar industry in many countries, the construction industry is a typical project-based sector within which production and business activities are generally organized based on temporary and multiorganizational projects [1, 2]
These results provide evidence that research foci of network studies in the construction domain are evolving from simple and statistic networks towards the complexity and dynamics of relationship networks at more diversified levels, which is closely related to the variety of participants and the temporary nature of their collaborative relationships in the construction industry
Discussion of Findings. rough combining bibliometric analysis and content analysis, this study identified the research trends and developed an integrated framework for previous social network analysis (SNA)-based studies, which enabled deeper and more systematic insights into the research topics, research designs, and research instruments of network studies in the construction domain. e findings of bibliometric analysis indicate that research keywords of the reviewed literature are generally veering away from a static focus to a more dynamic perspective. e results of content analysis further illustrate that increasing scholarly interests have been attracted to examine more macronetworks such as interproject relationships and most of these studies were conducted longitudinally
Summary
As a pillar industry in many countries, the construction industry is a typical project-based sector within which production and business activities are generally organized based on temporary and multiorganizational projects [1, 2]. Despite the multiplex levels and manifold relation types of networks in construction, scant scholarly attention has been devoted to developing an integrated framework for the network research in the construction domain and providing a systematic view of related research at different levels. Such a framework could help to more comprehensively identify research topics, research instruments, and research gaps of extant research as well as potential directions for future research, and contribute to deepened understandings of the complexity and dynamics inherent in the relationship networks in the construction domain
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