The cultural dimensions of Information and Communication Technology success factors

Although the widespread deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) was once thought likely to address construction industry ills, it is now becoming apparent that the surrounding contextual issues hinder the successful use of ICT in a project setting. This paper identifies and illuminates the theoretical concepts of softer cultural dimensions that influence the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for ICT engagement in construction projects. The paper concludes that the commonly held view of a total integration of project teams, an idealistic functionalist paradigm, in which culture is seen as providing cohesion and direction (characterising cultural metaphors of 'glue' or 'compass') is unlikely to be achieved. Rather, construction project environments are inherently fragmented where culture is more likely to be adversarial and clannish (characterising cultural metaphors of 'disorder' and 'clan'). Failure to recognise these cultural dimensions during ICT deployment results in sub optimal outcomes. It is contended that a cultural analysis approach that identifies the underlying 'root working assumptions' of a project team is essential prior to ICT deployment.