No abstract

PurposeIn an attempt to attain a better understanding of the research work on building information modeling (BIM) adoption, this study aims to examine the criticality of BIM adoption barriers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) developing countries from the lens of the sociotechnical theory. Further, the study investigates the differences in the perceptions of various constructions players (owners, contractors and designers) to BIM barriers, as well as possible discrepancies in the perception of BIM users and non-BIM users to the significance of the perceived constraints.Design/methodology/approachTo reach this aim, the study starts with a systematic evaluation and a critical review of the literature on BIM barriers. A set of 22 BIM adoption limitations was drawn from the literature which was used to design the survey. To capture a broad perception, a mixed approach was used, and data were collected through an interview study and a survey involving Architecture, Engineering and Construction professionals in the MENA construction sector. The collected data were analyzed using the mean score, standard deviation and nonparametric tests. The further principal component analysis (PCA) grouped the barriers to uncover the latent factors of BIM barriers.FindingsThe actors ranked the barriers as follows: lack of knowledge and BIM awareness, commercial issues and investment cost, lack of skills and BIM specialist, interoperability and lack of client demand. The examination of the PCA resulted in four underlying BIM limitation factors namely: human, technological, structural and financial. The analysis of the ranking indicated that 16 of the 22 barriers are considered critical in the MENA area. The results of the Mann–Whitney test indicated that there is a statistically significant difference in perceptions of BIM users and nonuser for seven barriers, pointing out that users care most about the financial barriers; however, nonusers are mostly concerned with structural and technological barriers. However, the results of the Kruskal–Wallis test indicated that there is no statistically significant difference in the perceptions of the three categories of stakeholders in ranking all BIM barriers.Practical implicationsThe outcomes will back policymakers and construction participants with the knowledge to develop policy propositions that can positively affect BIM adoption in the construction industry. The significance of this study lies in being one of the very first explorative investigations that comparatively and empirically explored BIM adoption barriers across the whole MENA developing countries.Originality/valueWhile several research studies have examined BIM adoption barriers in various countries, none to the best of the authors' knowledge have attempted to study the whole MENA region as one entity, and none highlighted the impact of user's roles on their perception of adoption barriers within their community. The results contribute to the discussion of the relationship among practitioners' level of involvement in BIM projects and their perception of adoption barriers which is underrepresented in extant studies. The above can assist with prioritizing the barriers that are considered to be more significant given the characteristics of the community under study. The result revealed the value of the structural and human attributes in prioritizing BIM adoption barriers within the MENA construction industry.

PurposeThis paper researches the diffusion patterns of various BIM functionalities across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) construction industry.Design/methodology/approachThe study grounds on the innovation diffusion theory proposition that both the internal and external factors drive the widespread adoption of innovative trends. The study empirically analyzes the diffusion patterns of BIM by employing and comparing three mathematical influence models: internal, external and mixed models.FindingsThe results of the questionnaires point out that the mixed model as having the highest explanatory power and shows that the internal influence factors outperform the external factors in affecting the diffusion of BIM functionalities in the MENA Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper can be of significant value for academic researchers as well as BIM business developers who are interested in emerging markets via providing an enhanced understanding of the adoption process of different BIM functionalities as well as a theoretical basis for explaining the diffusion patterns of information technology innovations in the AEC industry.Originality/valueThis study is among the first applications of the influence models to examine the adoption of BIM functionalities in the AEC industry and the very first across the MENA region.

Projectification is the phenomenon whereby activities traditionally carried out in a functional manner are approached as projects. It also includes the transformation processes of organisations as project management and non-functional structures. It is a phenomenon that has become important in recent years. It has brought great benefits to organisations and public administration, and it has optimised the use of economic resources. On the other hand, projectification also brings undesirable effects, known as the dark side of projectification. Several years after the first time projectification was coined, a deep debate about projectification has been necessary to make the most of all possible levels. This research, through a bibliometric analysis and a review of the most outstanding literature, identifies those aspects that need to be discussed and where there is room for improvement. The results, with an important set of disadvantages of projectification, sometimes not taken into account, especially at the individual level, establish a solid basis for the debate on projectification and the possible points of improvement from all perspectives (individual, organisational and societal). These perspectives should be observed as different but complementary, forming a holistic understanding of projectification.

No abstract