Making Sense of Digital Transformation in Construction

Abstract

The construction industry is often described as progressing more slowly in adopting and fully integrating digital technologies. However, assessments of digital progress remain highly divergent, suggesting that digitalization is not understood or expe rienced uniformly across the industry. This study therefore examines why project managers in the construction industry differ in how they interpret and position themselves in relation to digitalization. Furthermore, the study examined how these differences can be leveraged to foster greater engagement in digital transformation. The study was conducted as a qualitative case study at a construction consultancy firm, using semi-structured interviews with 16 project managers. An abductive re search approach was applied, combining sensemaking theory, professional identity, and conceptual distinctions of digitalization as analytical lenses. The findings demonstrate that digitalization is not a uniform phenomenon in prac tice, revealing three interrelated dimensions explaining interpretive differences: the conceptual ambiguity surrounding digitalization, the work context through which digital maturity is assessed, and the professional identities through which it is fil tered and evaluated. These differences should not primarily be understood as barri ers, but as complementary resources that can support digital transformation. Two mechanisms emerged as particularly important: internal knowledge networks and reverse mentoring. The study concludes that the ability to manage and leverage differing perspectives may therefore become increasingly important as the industry continues to navigate digital transformation. Supporting transformation therefore requires organisations to simultaneously develop competencies, create arenas for shared sensemaking, and actively bridge the gap between digital knowledge and organisational mandate.