Integrated knowledge management model and system for construction projects

Knowledge Management (KM) has become an important term in the construction industry. Knowledge management involves creating, securing, capturing, coordinating, combining, retrieving and distributing knowledge. The knowledge can be reused and shared among the involved engineers and experts to improve the construction process and reduce the time and cost of solving problems. Sharing and reusing knowledge depends on acquiring and preserving both tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge as the property of a corporation. This study addresses application of knowledge management in the construction phase of construction projects and proposes a construction map-based knowledge management (MBKM) concept and system for general contractors. This paper proposes a practical methodology to capture and represent construction project knowledge by using knowledge map. Using knowledge maps, users can get an overview of available and missing knowledge in core project areas and take appropriate management in tacit and explicit knowledge. Also, a portal system is developed to assist and present project-related knowledge by providing keyword and map search. The MBKM system is then applied in a case study of a construction precast office building in Taiwan to verify our proposed methodology and demonstrate the effectiveness of sharing knowledge special in the construction phase. By effectively using information and web technologies during the construction phase of a project, knowledge can be captured and managed to benefit future projects. The combined results demonstrate that, an MBKM-like system can be an effective tool for all experts and engineers participating for construction projects by utilizing the knowledge management concept and web technology.

Knowledge management (KM) is crucial for successful project completion in the construction industry, where tacit knowledge, embedded in individuals’ experiences, plays a critical role. However, capturing and transferring this knowledge across projects is challenging due to the temporary nature of construction teams and the reluctance of individuals to share their expertise. Traditional KM methods, such as interviews and videos, often fail to capture tacit knowledge due to various barriers, including organisational culture, limitations of technology, and individual factors like knowledge hoarding. This study investigates a novel approach to overcome these barriers and effectively capture tacit knowledge in construction. This study proposes a storytelling-based approach for capturing tacit knowledge within a Knowledge Management System (KMS). Participants contributed their knowledge directly through stories within the KMS, unlike previous studies that relied on interviews or videos. This method aims to address the reluctance to share tacit knowledge by empowering individuals to share their experiences in a comfortable and engaging format. The study’s validation methodology incorporates two elements: (1) extensive research was conducted on KM, storytelling, and existing methods for capturing tacit knowledge, and (2) issues concerning tacit knowledge capture were identified based on the research. This study contributes to the field of KM in construction by: (a) proposing a novel storytelling-based approach for capturing tacit knowledge, (b) addressing the limitations of traditional KM methods in construction, and (c) offering a framework for implementing storytelling-based KM within KMS. The proposed storytelling approach has the potential to overcome existing barriers and contribute to the effective capture and utilisation of tacit knowledge in construction projects. This can lead to improved project performance, reduced rework, and knowledge transfer across projects within the industry. Keywords: Tacit Knowledge, Knowledge Management

Knowledge Management (KM) is becoming increasingly important for construction companies in order to improve their competitiveness by reducing the cost and time while improving the quality of projects. Construction projects are in knowledge-intensive environments where many interrelated components work together in a complex manner. In many circumstances, knowledge in the construction industry is mostly tacit knowledge and highly based on individuals' experiences and perceptions. These situations call for a method of managing knowledge to solve construction problems and achieve a high quality of construction projects. Various kinds of KM models have been developed to support KM activities. However, the existing KM models and tools are far from enough, since most KM models only provide a communication platform and much creative knowledge work still depends entirely on human activities. This paper presents a new KM model that overcomes such shortcomings and provides an effective and efficient way of managing knowledge in the construction industry. A case study collected from the industry is used to demonstrate how the proposed KM model can be used to improve the industry's KM performance. The results indicate that the proposed KM model can facilitate the process of implementation, development and use of the KM system.

Developing an activity-based knowledge management system for contractors

Enhancing knowledge exchange through web map-based knowledge management system in construction: Lessons learned in Taiwan

A prototype of knowledge-based decision support system for construction cost management

The government continues to strive to improve the quality and welfare of teaching staff in higher education. Through Permendikbudristek Number 44 of 2024, the focus is given to more comprehensive regulations related to the profession, career, and income of lecturers. Current conditions According to the Scientific Journal Ranking (SJR), Indonesia is ranked 58th with an H-index of 259. In the Southeast Asia region, Indonesia is still below Singapore (H-index 646), Malaysia (H-index 373), Thailand (H-index 369), and the Philippines (H-index 274), which means that there must be an increase in the performance of lecturers in the tridharma of higher education. The purpose of this study is to create a model for optimizing tacit and explicit knowledge management moderated by a learning organization: a case study of improving the performance of lecturers in West Java. The research method used in this study uses descriptive analysis with quantitative methods. The object of the study is Lecturers at Private Universities in West Java, with the number of samples taken to represent the population of 372 samples with proportional random sampling techniques. Data analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM) data processing through Amos v.22 software. In general, the purpose of this study is to create a model for optimizing tacit and explicit knowledge management moderated by learning organization: a case study of improving the performance of lecturers in West Java. The results of the study show that tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge simultaneously have a positive and significant effect on the performance of lecturers; learning organizations positively strengthen the relationship between tacit knowledge and employee performance; learning organizations positively strengthen the relationship between tacit knowledge and lecturer performance

Tacit knowledge—rooted in individual experience, intuition, and skills—is vital to construction project success but remains difficult to capture and transfer. Traditional methods like interviews, documentation, and video recordings often fall short due to cultural barriers, technological limitations, and reluctance to share expertise. This study explores storytelling as an innovative, engaging method to capture tacit knowledge effectively. Here, ‘storytelling’ denotes construction practitioners’ situated narratives that recount context, cues, decisions, and consequences from real project episodes; these narratives are captured, structured, metadata-tagged, and integrated into the Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) for retrieval and reuse. It proposes and validates a storytelling-based framework integrated into KMS specifically for the construction industry. Drawing on qualitative case studies from a major bridge project and an engineering consultancy facing mass retirements, the research illustrates how storytelling enables the elicitation, capture, and dissemination of critical knowledge. Findings show that storytelling creates a relatable and emotionally engaging environment, encouraging practitioners to share rich, context-specific narratives that traditional approaches miss. The validated framework offers practical guidance for construction firms seeking to retain expertise, improve cross-project knowledge transfer, and cultivate a learning culture. Ultimately, the storytelling approach supports better project outcomes, reduces rework, and helps safeguard the construction sector’s experiential knowledge base.

Aim/Purpose: This study aims to investigate the relationship between the knowledge management (KM) process and the performance of construction companies. The ultimate goal is to promote better efficiency and competitive advantage in the construction industry by making the best use of knowledge. Background: While attention to KM is currently on the rise, as shown by the number of studies conducted, research on KM in the construction industry of Indonesia is still very rare. However, organizational learning as the implementation of KM provides an opportunity to improve the construction industry, and thus there is an urgency to conduct research on this topic. Methodology: This study lasted for three months and used the survey method, with 100 questionnaires distributed to contractors of grade 6 and 7 on the islands of Java and Borneo in Indonesia. A total of 54 returned questionnaires were deemed complete and eligible for further analysis. Data analysis was performed using the structural equation modeling method with partial least squares (SEM PLS). Contribution: This study helps to measure the relationship value of the KM process and company performance. Findings: The results of this study indicate that the process of KM has a significant and positive influence on company performance, and there is a positive interaction in the process of KM and company performance as well. Recommendations for Practitioners: Construction companies need to perceive that activities undertaken in a construction project should always be assumed to be a KM process in order to make strategic and effective decisions that can result in improvements to customers, finance, internal business, learning, and growth. Recommendation for Researchers: Research on the KM process and information technology needs to be developed more, so that construction companies can apply this knowledge to explore problems and create solutions, resulting in methods to facilitate efficiency and effectiveness. Impact on Society: This paper helps to understand that KM activities provide initial benefits and guidance for companies that want to apply KM. Future Research: Innovative and new ideas to cultivate the KM process in the construction industry need to be explored and developed to improve the implementation.

Ikujiro Nonaka’s contribution to the knowledge management (KM) field over the last decades is remarkable. His research has heralded major paradigm shifts (e.g., emphasis on tacit knowledge). In this regard, we can consider his widely received article – The Wise Leader in Harvard Business Review (May 2011) – as an attempt to develop KM towards a new direction. In it, Nonaka and Takeuchi introduce phronesis, i.e., practical wisdom, as a complementary source of knowledge and emphasize its importance for responsible leadership. A decade after its presentation, we aim to understand how their work has influenced subsequent research. Using VOSviewer software, we develop a bibliometric analysis of the research that follows the paths laid out by Nonaka and Takeuchi. Therefore, we searched the studies citing The Wise Leader on the Scopus database. The outcomes comprise 119 documents. We scrutinized the metadata – papers, journals, institutions, countries, authors, and keywords – applying a comparative approach – authorship, bibliographic coupling, citation, co-citation, and co-occurrence analyses. The results reveal that the concepts of phronesis and practical wisdom link knowledge management and leadership, supporting Nonaka and Takeuchi’s stance on knowledge management as a primarily social endeavor whose success depends on personal capabilities and the enactment of (tacit) knowledge, both of which are mirrored in phronesis. We also find that the concept has hardly spread beyond the boundaries of knowledge management, leadership, and business ethics, although it has become interwoven with other concepts. Of these connections, those to non-rational forms of knowledge and values (e.g., spirituality, emotions, virtue ethics) may be of particular relevance to the further development of the knowledge management field. This is also reflected in the recently started discussion on responsible knowledge management. Moreover, we set an agenda for future research and offer contributions to theory and practice.

Knowledge management (KM) is the collection of processes governing the creation, storage, reuse, maintenance, dissemination and reuse of knowledge. KM refers to the collection of processes controlling the creation, storage and usage of experience in a particular situation or problem solving context. To transfer knowledge between experienced engineers, construction professionals have traditionally used techniques ranging from formal annual meetings to face-to-face interviews. Construction KM focuses on the acquisition and management of important issues and experience from participating engineers. To enhance the quality of KM gained by engineers involved in construction projects, this study proposes a knowledge flow approach integrated with mind mapping to achieving KM solutions in the construction industry. Combined with web-based technology and mind mapping, this study proposes a Construction Web Topic-based Knowledge Management (CWTKM) system enabling engineers to reuse domain knowledge and experience by dynamically exchanging and managing knowledge during the construction phase of a project. In the proposed CWTKM system, the topic-based experience exchange environment in the mind map enables engineers to illustrate and share their experience with other engineers effectively. Engineers are, thus, invited to exchange and share their knowledge based on their previous experience. By integrating web-based technology and mind mapping, engineers can obtain problem solutions and experience directly from senior engineers, decreasing the time and reducing the cost of on-the-job training. By exchanging and sharing previous experiences among engineers, similar and related experiences used to execute similar projects can clarify domain knowledge and enable the exchange of knowledge through web KM. The CWTKM system provides a web-based platform for users who can request assistance from selected or all engineers in the enterprise who have relevant experience. The user can also submit knowledge description using mind mapping in CWTKM system. Moreover, senior and junior engineers can effectively and easily exchange knowledge and experience regarding a specific aspect of their current construction project. In this study of a Taiwan construction building project, the survey (questionnaire) results indicated that the CWTKM system, integrated with mind mapping approach is effective for construction knowledge exchange and management.

Knowledge hiding (KHi) is the intentional withholding of knowledge from colleagues, often caused by a lack of trust. It takes three forms: rationalized hiding, evasive hiding, and playing dumb, with the latter two fueling ongoing mistrust. To address this, organizations promote sharing both Tacit Knowledge (TK) and Explicit Knowledge (EK), to improve teamwork, problem-solving, and workplace relationships. Recent studies highlight the challenge of distinguishing general knowledge from TK and the difficulty of articulating TK, which adds to its scarcity and value. Examining the intentions and motivations behind KHi and KHo, often driven by fear, provides important insights into organizational knowledge dynamics. This study aimed to identify key factors influencing individuals' decisions to share TK or engage in KHi or KHo behaviors in the workplace. Using an 11-stage Survey Design methodology, data was collected from 285 Knowledge Management (KM) professionals across five countries over 42 days. This comprehensive approach ensured a diverse and representative sample, enhancing the validity and applicability of the findings. Results revealed that participants were aware of and engaged in KHi, KHo, and Knowledge Sharing (KS) behaviors. They recognized that TK holders made deliberate sharing decisions based on trust, sincerity, skillsets, and expertise. This insight underscores the complexity of KM in organizational settings and the need for nuanced approaches to encourage KS. The study highlighted the need for future research to include leadership influences, which significantly impact KHi and KHo behaviors. This finding emphasizes the critical role of leadership in shaping knowledge-sharing cultures within organizations and suggests that effective KM strategies must consider leadership styles and practices. By addressing these complex issues, organizations can develop more effective strategies to promote KS, reduce harmful hiding behaviors, and ultimately enhance their competitive advantage through improved KM practices. The study's findings provide a foundation for future research and practical applications in organizational KM, potentially leading to more efficient and collaborative work environments.

The construction industry is considered one of the most hazardous industries especially in Mega projects, not only in developing countries but also throughout the world due to its unique nature. The hazards of this industry make it very essential to pay more attention to construction safety and to improve the safety performance of construction companies. However, safety is not a luxury but a necessity, and may be considered an important function to be used against unnecessary loss. International Mega Construction projects are likely to become increasingly common in the engineering and construction industry. A Mega-project as a high impact technically complex project which requires careful advanced planning, large projects are defined as those with construction work valued in excess of US $1billion. On such projects, there may be 60 large contracting organizations and 30 to 40 consulting companies. The construction workforce could total 45,000 personnel delivering over 10 million man hours of effort per month at peak periods, so there is a need of guidance material that can be used to improve the management of health and safety(H&S) throughout these type of projects. Thus the aim of this paper is to identify the H&S considerations that are related to Mega Construction Projects. To achieve the aim of this paper a literature review analysis has been performed where more than hundred research paper that have been published from 1998, to 2018 have been analyzed. Findings of this paper have managed to identify the nature of mega construction projects, the root causes of accidents and the consequence of poor health and safety management in mega construction projects. This paper is considered of value to construction project officers and Project managers working in mega construction projects in Egypt and MENA region.

The construction industry has a dynamic and complex environment. The successful completion of a construction project depends on various factors. Accordingly, construction delay is observed to happen in construction projects. It is highly affecting the construction sector and the economy of the country too. Although previous research studies identified the causes, effects, and mitigation methods separately, this study adopts a linked approach and directs to identify the effective applicable mitigation methods and their practices on each significant cause of delay in construction projects. Moreover, contractors are noted as one of the main sources of construction delay from the previous studies. Hence, this research aims to develop a framework to determine the applicable mitigation strategies and the practices of each mitigation strategy for each significant cause of contractor’s delays in construction projects in Sri Lanka. A mixed research approach was adopted to generate the research process. A literature review was conducted on construction delays, organizational and project management factors, and professional competency, mitigation strategies in delay management. The significant causes of delays and effective mitigation strategies were ranked through a questionnaire survey using a Likert scale. Project Managers and Quantity Surveyors in the Sri Lankan construction industry were selected in the ratio of 1:3 respectively for the interview as they are mostly engaged with delay management. Also, the respondents were limited to 68 and the collected data were analysed through the Relative Important Index (RII) method, to rank the significant causes and mitigation strategies. Then techniques and possible mitigation strategies were found through interviews and content analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings indicated that most of the contractor’s delays can be mitigated through applying proper mitigation strategies as effective management approaches in the construction projects such as effective project planning and schedules of construction works, maintain positive financial stability and well qualified and experienced professionals and staff, effective strategic planning, risk analysis, and management, selection of suitable sub-contractor and management and effective site management and supervision. In addition to that, inaccurate planning and scheduling of the project, financial dishonesty, poor procurement of construction materials, ineffective time management of contractors, and incompetence of management professionals and staffs were identified as the most significant contractor’s causes of delays in construction management.
 Keywords: Delays, Significant Causes, Mitigation, Construction Management, Construction Projects.

Moreover, there is an increasing amount of literature covering specific geotechnical risk analysis and management topics. Examples of these are the difference between unsafe geotechnical certainty and safe geotechnical uncertainty (Barends, 2005), the role of the human factor in achieving geotechnical reliability (Bea, 2006), objective and subjective ways of geotechnical risk classification (Altabba et al., 2004), and contractual allocation of geotechnical risk (Essex, 2007).