Formation Mechanism Of BIM Absorptive Capacity In CoPs

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is widely advocated since it has theadvantage of realizing instantly sharing, fully storage and synergy of constructionproject information during the total project life cycle. However, BIM involves lots ofprofessional knowledge and skills, and construction enterprises’ promotion andapplication for BIM is much lower than expected due to insufficient knowledgeabsorptive capacity. Community of Practice (CoP) can deal with both explicit andimplicit knowledge well since it is a self-emerging and self-organizing network. Thisarticle studies influences, relationships and forming paths of BIM absorptive capacity,providing reference for promoting BIM absorptive capacity.This paper systemizes existing literature and related theories of BIM application,absorptive capacity, and community of practice. It focuses on the influence of bottom-up, flat-decentralized and informal organization structure,"core-positive-peripheral"member distribution and network characteristics of strong and weak link, social capitaland structural holes of CoPs.On this basis, it analyzes forming process of BIM absorptive capacity and comesup with absorptive capacity conceptual model in CoPs. Influencing factors,relationships and formation paths are analyzed, and formation mechanism of BIMabsorptive capacity in CoPs is put forward based on the channel "networkcharacteristics-individual property-knowledge attributes-absorptive capacity". Also,forming paths under the perspective of knowledge flow and network position are putforward.This paper designs a questionnaire to study variables in the model, collecting datafrom BIM QQ group members by means of five-stage Likert Scale. Empirical analysisis carried out through structure equation modeling, including the reliability and validityanalysis of sample data, model fit degree and related hypothesis test. Results show thatnetwork characteristics and individual property relate to absorptive capacity positivelywhile knowledge attributes do opposite and that network characteristics can adjustnegative influence on tacit knowledge.Based on BIM absorptive capacity model in CoPs and empirical analysis results,strategies are put forward to promote BIM absorptive capacity from six aspects.