Investigating the relationship between the culture of construction project-based organisations and the implementation of building information modelling

The implementation of Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a consequence of the mounting pressure for improving efficiency in the construction project delivery process. It captures versatile benefits, such as extensive use of information in a building project, improvement in efficiency in the project delivery process, and better management of information for a project during both delivery and operation phases. Nevertheless, a number of issues are raised during the implementation of BIM, which ranges from technical complexity, legal concerns, and up to the cultural barriers. The issues raised in a BIM project have a significant impact on the success of the implementation of BIM. On the other hand, the implementation of BIM has substantial effects on the culture of the construction project- based organisations. The aim of this research is to investigate the relationship between the culture of the project-based organisations and the implementation of BIM, and the interactions that take place among the participants within a project supply chain. The investigation has been carried out by different approaches, i.e. Grounded Theory (GT), regression analysis, and Competing Values Framework (CVF) analysis. Methodological and data triangulations have been performed to validate the findings in the research. In this study, it has been found that the leadership in a BIM project has an obvious influence on the integral parts of BIM. The elements of BIM, i.e. BIM implementation plan and protocol, value proposition, capacity building programmes, and data exchanges and accessibilities within a particular project, build the culture of the project-based organisation. It also adds value to the project. It is also revealed that the culture in a BIM project can be perceived in terms of the coordinations and integrations within the project delivery process performed by the people and the interactions between themselves. The findings in this research further indicate that the essential parts of BIM are the determinants of the outcomes in a project regarding of collaboration and project value. The overall results of the study propose an understanding on the various elements of BIM and their associations with the project outcomes which are achieved through the implementation of BIM. This will provide necessary guidelines to implement BIM successfully in a construction project.