Unravelling the work of knowledge professionals: a neo-institutional exploration of knowledge transfer in the construction industry

Paper in proceeding, 2024

It is well recognised that knowledge transfer in the construction industry, characterised by its intricate project organising, poses significant challenges. This has attracted plentiful attention by construction scholars and studied in such volumes that it now qualifies as a ‘traditional research question’. To honour this year’s conference theme, this paper revisits this traditional question with a contemporary focus. We report from an empirical case of a large Scandinavian construction company ́s recent attempts to address more efficient knowledge transfer through a dedicated expert unit. Few prior studies address the activities of actors affected by multiple competing professional logics. Drawing on 16 interviews, we zoom in on this units ́ work as it unfolds at the nexus between organisation, projects, and clients and view it through a neo-institutional lens. The paper concludes that a key for more efficient knowledge transfer to manifest is the establishment of a new professional logic. This contemporary focus reminds us that knowledge transfer is not merely an organising problem but enmeshed in multiple dimensions of professional work including legitimacy, identity, and knowledge.