Knowledge management framework in offsite construction

Smith, Ryan

Abstract

Offsite construction (OSC) has demonstrated considerable benefits and potential to improve housing construction affordability and access. Despite the benefits, OSC has waned in significant uptake and adoption in the US and UK, in part due to the lack of knowledge sharing among stakeholders in the OSC industry. Therefore, this research aimed to develop an applied framework for non-project-based inter-organizational knowledge management (KM) in OSC. As a theory building project, the research employed a constructivist grounded theory methodology, wherein the researcher was an active participant in the study. Four research community contexts served as testbed case studies in which qualitative data was gathered and analyzed through theoretical sampling, memoing and coding, and constant data comparisons to reach theoretical saturation. Themes, concepts, and categories formed core theories through inductive means. The case study analysis was contextualized in secondary and primary research. The secondary research consisted of literature review of KM theory and OSC knowledge categories, characterization, needs and priorities. To verify and clarify the OSC knowledge needs, data was mined from four primary research activities conducted by the researcher. The knowledge needs and priorities analysis proffered a discrete intellectual contribution of the work. In the main, the case studies, framed by the secondary and primary research, formed a theoretical framework named TM3 - type, mode, measure model – a non-project-based inter-organizational framework for KM in OSC housing.

Citation

Smith, R. Knowledge management framework in offsite construction. (Thesis). Edinburgh Napier University

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Sep 4, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 4, 2024
• Award Date: Jul 5, 2024