Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) project teams comprise a diverse set of individuals and organizations that work under pressure to execute a project. Efficient collaboration and integration are vital to generating and conveying the necessary expertise for optimized solutions and project performance. However, the transient and fragmented nature of the AEC teams poses a challenge to collaborate efficiently and impacts the project performance adversely. This dissertation examines the project networks that allow actors to create and channel expertise that can be used to enhance project outcomes including sustainability for AEC projects. To achieve the study goal, longitudinal data are collected from an AEC project team with more than 1000 team members. The data are analyzed using mixed methods and Social Network Analysis (SNA). This research consists of three main independent but interwoven parts: (1) Part 1 examines the topology and evolution of AEC project team collaboration networks that facilitates expertise flows for optimal sustainability outcomes; (2) Part 2 examines social influence mechanisms and how individuals change knowledge-sharing behaviors in project networks; and (3) Part 3 develops an intervention protocol for AEC project teams to find appropriate solutions for network constraints and improve knowledge transfers for optimized project performance. The study's main contribution to the body of knowledge is providing a holistic and systematic evaluation of AEC project networks with special consideration to their dynamic and multi-level characteristics to improve the project outcomes, particularly sustainability. First, project networks have unique needs that cannot solely be explained with network metrics. This study fills the gap by explaining desirable network topologies and how to achieve them for enhanced project outcomes. Second, the study establishes a social influence model to understand conformity and influence processes in project networks and enable the diffusion of necessary behaviors for better project performance. Finally, the study provides an intervention framework for AEC teams in selecting and assigning experts in projects as well as managing team communications and networks in a dynamic manner during project delivery for better system functioning and resilience.
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