Influence of collaborative relationships on the performance of design-construction efficiency of industrialized construction

The poor collaboration among the main actors in the construction has become a challenge for the low performance of the design-construction efficiency (DCE). This study investigated and quantitatively evaluated the influence of network relationships in stakeholders’ collaborative management (SCM) and their effect on the performance of the DCE of industrialized construction projects. Hypotheses were proposed and tested. Based on multiple empirical cases, semistructured interviews and questionnaire surveys were conducted. Social network analysis (SNA) was adopted as a research technique for graphical analysis and quantitative evaluation of the SCM. The study’s findings revealed that the different sets and modes of collaboration directly impacted the performance of the DCE of industrialized construction. Further findings showed that strong collaboration among the contractors, designers, and manufacturers significantly impacts achieving better efficiency. Meanwhile, DCE was the most important driving factor for the SCM. The network relationships had a positive impact on the DCE. The study contributes knowledge in demonstrating the application of network relationships in industrialized construction research and helps practitioners establish a strong SCM to improve the efficiency of industrialized construction in a wider global context.