Interaction between Project- and Group-Level Knowledge Transfer in Project Team Networks: A Social Influence Analysis

Collaboration is challenging for complex project teams that have many subteams with diverse and complementary skills that are working toward shared goals. Knowledge transfer among subteams (i.e., project-level knowledge transfer) enhances integrative collaboration and results in behavioral changes within subteams (i.e., group-level knowledge transfer). However, there is a lack of quantitative evidence about how such project-level knowledge transfer influences group-level knowledge transfer behaviors. This study examined the change in knowledge transfer behaviors along with project progress, using the energy-efficiency subteam as an example. To achieve the goal, the authors collected longitudinal email exchanges and archival project data during the delivery of a complex construction project in the state of Michigan. Social network analysis and social influence models were utilized to analyze the change of knowledge-transfer networks over time. The results confirmed that exposure to project-level knowledge transfer positively predicts the subsequent group-level knowledge transfer behaviors during project delivery, measured by eigenvector centrality. The findings provide quantitative evidence explaining the importance of knowledge transfer behaviors in project communication: project-level knowledge transfers change members' attitudes and behaviors and subsequently improve individuals' influences in their respective project subteams. In addition, opinion leaders demonstrate a certain extent of resistance to the change.