Leadership under building information modeling-enabled construction projects (BECPs): an examination of owners' leadership behaviors

Purpose Leadership is indispensable in building information modeling (BIM)-enabled construction projects (BECPs). However, BIM use complicates managerial leadership, making a single leadership approach insufficient. Existing research predominantly focused on the significance of leadership in BECPs while lacking a systematic exploration of specific leadership behaviors. Thus, this study aims to identify critical leadership behaviors, particularly those adopted by owners, for high BIM use performance. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a qualitative research design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 owner managers involved in BECPs in China. Through a systematic coding process (open, axial and selective coding), the data were analyzed to summarize leadership behavior categories and establish the leadership theoretical framework in BECPs. Findings The results identify five categories of critical leadership behaviors: “Regulate BIM use by contracts,” “Establish team BIM competence,” “Build up BIM confidence,” “Reinforce BIM change management practices” and “Ensure continuous BIM use process.” Meanwhile, a theoretical model is constructed to illustrate how these behaviors interact synergistically for high BIM use performance. Practical implications Owner managers should adopt a holistic combination of the five leadership behavior categories. Additionally, integrating transactional and transformational leadership styles (e.g. using contractual regulation for formal BIM arrangements and inspirational measures to motivate BIM adoption) is recommended to enhance BIM use performance. Originality/value This study addresses the fragmentation of existing research on leadership behaviors in BIM contexts, offering a holistic and nuanced understanding of how diverse leadership behaviors collectively drive high BIM use performance.