Bridging Boundaries Between Organizations in Construction

Organizations have boundaries that serve various purposes; for example, differentiating internal operations from external activities and controlling flows of information. Boundaries can however hinder knowledge exchange in inter-organizational collaboration, leading to less effective outcomes. Empirical results from comparative case studies on how boundaries between organizations in a project can be bridged effectively to support knowledge exchange are presented. End-user organizations and real estate companies form the subjects of the enquiry. The results show that the depth of involvement of the end-user organization varies widely and, with it, the use of bridging roles and activities. To identify bridging strategies that can foster productive knowledge exchange in inter-organizational collaboration, it is necessary to understand contextual aspects of end-users' needs to ensure the availability of sufficient competence within, and time for, the project team to perform its duties.