Coordination process and network centrality in ISGI Airport's Wayfinding project

Abstract

Coordination is integral to operational efficiency of construction projects. Coordination process relies on managing dependent activities and the structural centrality in social networks is strategic to project actor's management activity. This study aims to explore the effects of network centrality on coordination performance. Network centrality concepts and coordination theory are examined via Email communication data of Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport's (ISGIA) New Terminal Building Wayfinding and Signage Design Project (WSDP) actors. E-mail data mining for identifying different coordination dependencies is derived from the constructs of Malone's (1988) coordination theory and used to measure the actors' coordination scores. Social network matrix of information exchange network is constructed to calculate degree, betweenness and closeness centrality measures. ISGIA data analysis suggests a significant relationship between out-degree, outcloseness centrality and coordination. Findings highlight that out- network centralities support the ability of an actor to coordinate the dependent actions of other project actors; and the design and construction practices rely on the central position in a network in mapping effective coordination processes. © 2012 ASCE.