Knowledge Management and Maturation Model in Construction Companies

Abstract

Construction companies are knowledge-intensive organizations which are highly dependent on the skills of their professionals and staff. In today’s business world, knowledge management is a major competitive strategy. Effective knowledge management in construction companies requires first characterizing the current practices of knowledge management within the organization, then identifying knowledge networks located in collaborative projects, observing the degree of virtuality in these networks, and identifying the communication facilitators. This paper proposes a model for the design of strategies for knowledge management and maturation, originating with an analysis of collaborative social networks, including their application in the wide spectrum of projects tackled by many construction companies. This document presents the conceptual underpinning of the proposed model and the methodology to add input and make the model operational. This research is interested in the significant amount of knowledge that lies in collaborative networks, as well as potential patterns that may emerge from the type and size of projects, companies, organizational styles, forms of recruitment, etc. With the input of this information, it is possible to design ad hoc strategies for knowledge management and maturity for any construction company.