Stakeholder relationships in off-site construction: A systematic literature review

Purpose: This paper aims to report a comprehensive analysis of literature on stakeholder relationships towards identifying patterns of relationships within the off-site construction context. Design/methodology/approach: Key scholarly databases were accessed and after a filtering process, 74 relevant papers were retrieved for analysis. The papers were analysed using qualitative content analysis and scientometric techniques through the application of software Leximancer and VOSviewer. Findings: Research synthesis methods used in the present study generate compatible results. Through text mining analysis, the key themes identified in the off-site construction stakeholder relationships literature included “collaboration”, “building information modelling”, “social network analysis”, supply chain. As a finding by scientometric analysis, collaboration, BIM, supply chain management, housing and social network analysis were the most frequently entered keywords context of off-site construction. Regarding authorship pattern, the whole network of collaboration was fragmented into multiple isolated clusters, implying that the authors had tendency to cooperate in small groups. Practical implications: The paper can bring together an important area of research not previously studied in detail. It will primarily assist academics in the first instance; however, the research leads to important findings that will ultimately assist policymakers and practitioners better understand factors affecting stakeholder relationships and in particular network thinking and collaborative mind-sets. Originality/value: The review contributes a needed systematic and theoretical foundation for future stakeholder relationship studies and practices in off-site construction sector. It provides the basis for future studies and is a seminal analysis of stakeholder management and off-site construction. The scientometric methodology offers scholars a different approach to analysing and visualising literature reviews.