Towards a theoretical framework of trust in BIM-enabled collaboration

Abstract

Building information modelling (BIM) has not met the expectations of radically improved collaboration. As trust is a key enabler of collaboration, it is important to understand and address the trust issues in BIM-enabled collaboration for further improvement. Through a literature review on trust in psychology, economics, construction, and virtual collaboration, this paper enquires into the meaning and dimensions of trust. It is argued that the six dimensions of trust established in psychology and economics, the interrelationships between these dimensions, as well as the different units of analysis, need to be considered holistically for the study of trust in BIM-enabled collaboration.