Evaluating the project coordination performance using information centrality

Abstract

Evaluation of coordination performance in a project network requires reliable measures and monitoring methods for effective management. Recent literature includes studies addressing the relationship between coordinative activity and the configuration of communication networks. In these works, the role of network centrality is investigated through the basic standard centrality measures of degree, betweenness, and closeness. Current social network analysis research emphasizes new formulations of centrality measures for robust structural analysis of project networks. This paper presents a novel approach for measuring network centrality using the concept of information centrality. It is based on the idea that all paths carry information. The significance of information centrality values for the actors in a directional signage project at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport is investigated. A centrality index is defined for each firm based on the average of the four measures of centrality. Findings suggest the existence of a high correlation between coordination scores and the centrality indexes. A centrality index augmented by an information centrality measure has potential for assessing the coordination performance in construction management research, and it is promising for the structural analysis of project communication networks. © 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.