A Sensemaking Perspective of Digitalisation in Construction Organisations

Abstract

Different researchers have examined construction innovation from diverse perspectives and with varied conclusions, but what has commonly transpired is that the construction industry is a complex and ever-changing environment that tends to have a selective perspective on innovation. Recently, digitalisation has offered critical enhancements in construction organisations’ internal processes. However, the uptake of these innovations is far from satisfactory. To integrate theory with practice, sensemaking theories provide an opportunity to help us understand and explain the social phenomenon behind achieving a common meaning across social systems. In the quest to support research efforts through understanding and explaining the enablers of digital transformation, this paper aims to qualitatively apply the sensemaking perspective to digitalisation in construction organisations. To this end, an empirical qualitative approach was adopted using a questionnaire survey of 59 construction professionals, from different firms in the United Kingdom, providing a perspective on how sense is being developed by their organisations to foster digitalisation and achieve an effective digital transformation. Results suggest that a variety of aspects contribute to the indecision of construction firms towards digitalisation, informing research of the pressure points deemed critical at both leadership and employee levels. The findings point to the complexity of construction organisations and the non-linear nature of embracing new ideas. Future research is encouraged to assess the empirically captured cues presented in this paper through other means of investigation towards a more robust sensemaking perspective in the construction industry.