Knowledge mapping techniques within the construction industry: An exploratory study

Abstract

The last 15 years has seen the transitioning of the industrial economy to a knowledge economy.
\nKnowledge is now considered as the new value proposition of the post-industrial economy,
\nwhich is embedded in staff and workers in the organization; and can and should be considered a
\nkey resource for competitiveness and performance. Organisations intending to effectively
\nexploit their knowledge assets might need to effectively identify where their knowledge resides.
\nThis is the underlying principle of “knowledge mapping”. Knowledge mapping techniques aim
\nto track the acquisition and loss of information and knowledge. It explores personal and group
\ncompetencies and illustrates how knowledge flows throughout an organisation or ‘network’.
\nThis paper reports some of the findings from an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
\nCouncil (EPSRC), UK, funded project entitled “Knowledge mapping and bringing about change
\nfor the sustainable urban environment”. This research project investigated the different types of
\nknowledge mapping techniques that are used to bring about change from a sustainable urban
\nenvironment (SUE) perspective.
\nSemi-structured interviews were conducted with fourteen (14) construction industry actors
\n(architects, developers, and main contractors) and four (4) developers of knowledge mapping
\nsoftware tools to identify current and ‘successful’ knowledge mapping tools. The semistructured
\ninterviews investigated the mechanisms by which the construction industry actors
\nlearn (both from their experiences and from external sources of knowledge), capture knowledge
\nand know-how and diffuse it across organisations. The interviews with software developers
\ninvestigated the types of knowledge mapping tools on the market, focusing on their dynamism
\nand potential effects for the users. Of particular interest were the capture and diffusion of
\nknowledge and know-how related to sustainability, which was defined broadly in terms of the
\ntriple bottom line (Economic, Social and Environmental). The paper concludes that the
\nconstruction industry stakeholders interviewed accept that knowledge mapping is important and
\nhave initiated or improved mechanisms (tools/techniques) to capture and diffuse information,
\nparticularly with respect to sustainability. However, generally speaking, they have not adopted
\noff-the peg knowledge mapping software solutions. The market solutions are not seen to be cost
\neffective, do not offer the firms added value and organisations prefer instead to invest in inhouse
\ndevelopment of intranets and other IT enabled tools. They also rely on techniques long
\nestablished in the firm (e.g. meetings, briefing notes, seminars, coaching schemes, and
\nnewsletters). This study revealed that the industry actively uses different combinations of nine
\nout of the seventeen knowledge mapping tools identified.