Understanding knowledge creation in construction: activity theory as an alternative approach

Abstract

Organizational learning is widely acknowledged as being key for businesses to improve their competitiveness. It has attracted researchers from different disciplines and in the Construction Management domain various authors have also investigated learning and innovation events. Some authors have relied on the SECI model by Nonaka as starting points for mapping such knowledge creation in construction. An alternative approach to understand learning, the Activity theory, is presented. Activity theory has its origin in Russian psychology and was firstly applied in education, but is more and more used to describe team and organization based learning. Since it regards human activities as socially created and historically embedded it allows for an alternative social constructivism perspective on learning and knowledge creation within the construction sector. Previously identified publications using the SECI model are re-analyzed and synthesized using the Activity theory. While not all publications allow for a conclusive assessment due to a lack of details on reported learning events, some first observations on the suitability but also limitations of the Activity theory can be made. Activity theory might be of use for a better in-depth understanding of particular learning events.