Integration of information and communication technology: a cultural perspective

It is axiomatic that fragmentation, poor knowledge management, and a negative culture have all contributed to poor performance in the construction industry. Whilst the widespread deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) was once thought likely to address many of these issues, it is now becoming clear that, in spite of fairly widespread adoption, the successful use of ICT in a project setting is often hindered by surrounding contextual issues - indeed the effectiveness of the cure is largely negated by the malaise itself. This paper adopts a cultural perspective to investigate the issues inherent in this problem. It identifies a range of issues that are classified as either cultural, in terms of both the individual firm and the temporary project organisation (TPO), or as defining the boundary /existing at the interfaces between the TPOs. The paper concludes by constructing a theoretical framework that is appropriate for industry ICT integration in the context of TPOs situated in the construction industry.