Application of Social Network Analysis in Lean and Infrastructure Projects

Abstract

The communication structures between project participants have a great influence on the success of a project. Some can be described explicitly but most are informal and tacit. Social Network Analysis (SNA) is a tool to identify and model actual social structures with a set of metrics. This paper examines the application of SNA in German, Swiss and Chilean construction projects in order to identify the suitability of SNA in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. The scope of the present work focuses on differences when applying SNA to projects and organizations, influence of project complexity, cultural aspects and the use of SNA-metrics for a project benchmarking.