Translating customer needs into project decisions: identifying knowledge brokers in project networks

Abstract

PurposeIt is essential for projects to fulfil a wide spectrum of customer expectations including social, psychological, technological, and physical ones. The purpose of this paper is to identify roles within project networks that act as transmitters and linkers of this important knowledge, thereby resulting in appropriate and timely on-ground decision-making.Design/methodology/approachQualitative case analysis coupled with social network analysis (SNA) is used to map project actors and identify key knowledge brokers within a complex co-location project. The project network comprised 91 actors from a range of project partners from public and private sectors.FindingsThe research identifies key knowledge brokers where selection appears to reflect their “heavyweight” stature, high social capital, technical expertise, and personality. The research recommends early identification of brokers from within and outside the parent organization/s.Research limitations/implicationsThe research covers a single, inductive, and interpretive study of a co-location project involving mature project organizations. Wider generalizability of findings to less mature organizations or those operating in vastly different sectors may be limited.Practical implicationsThis study contributes to the existing body of literature on knowledge brokerage in projects and assists project managers in identifying and developing relevant brokers.Originality/valueThe study provides further evidence behind the argument that customer needs are translated into appropriate project decisions through key knowledge brokers.