Construction Project Organizational Capabilities Antecedent Model Construction Based on Digital Construction Context

Abstract

In the context of high-quality development and the digital age, digital technology-enabled construction projects have become the only choice to promote organizational capabilities and innovation. However, the micro foundation of the organizational capabilities of construction projects has not been clarified, and its formation path is even less clear. This paper focuses on the characteristics of the times when digital technology and engineering construction are deeply integrated, conducts in-depth research on typical projects in the context of digital construction, and uses the qualitative research method of grounded theory to explore the antecedents of the formation of organizational capabilities. The results of the study establish a systematic antecedent model framework, including value integration, data traction, resource integration, technology integration, digital collaboration, and digital routines, and find out the “black box” process of the formation of construction project organizational capacities under the digital construction context. The conclusion of this study provides a theoretical basis and practical enlightenment for the construction of organizational capabilities of construction projects to cope with technological turbulence.

1. Introduction

Entering the digital era, a technological revolution led by digital technology is rapidly permeating various industries. The construction industry’s past problems, such as extensive development, low economic efficiency, and irregular behaviors caused by process black boxes, no longer meet the development requirements of the times. A series of digital technologies such as 5G, BIM, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and big data are catalyzing and propelling the construction industry toward the path of high-quality development. The academic community has shown widespread interest in digital transformation in the field of construction engineering, giving rise to the concept of “digital construction.” Digital construction is an innovative development model formed by the integration of digital technology and engineering construction [1]. As an emerging technology in the construction field in the Industry 4.0 era, the emergence of digital construction has invigorated the construction industry, and its role in promoting the improvement of quality and efficiency in the construction industry is evident. Nevertheless, the application of digital construction technology has fallen short of industry expectations. Taking BIM as an example, according to “NBS National BIM 2023”, the BIM adoption rate drops to 60% in organizations with 25 or fewer employees. Numerous scholars have analyzed this phenomenon. Bosch et al. contend that inadequate organizational support is the primary factor hindering the development of BIM practitioners [2]. Taija et al. further suggest that in the digital age, the construction industry needs to develop organizational capabilities to address challenges [3]. The insufficiency of organizational capabilities in construction projects has become a crucial factor restricting the sustained development of the construction industry. In this regard, since organizational capabilities stem from an organization’s response to the external environment in a specific context, it is necessary to analyze the antecedents of organizational capabilities formation and define their concept in conjunction with the digital construction context to facilitate the high-quality and efficient development of organizational capabilities in construction projects.

The research on organizational capabilities has consistently been a research and practice hotspot in the field of organizational strategic management [4]. Numerous distinct schools of thought, such as the resource-based theory and the dynamic capability theory, have emerged, demonstrating the significance of organizational capabilities in maintaining an organization’s competitive advantage. The formation of capabilities and the construction of its antecedents have become the key to solving the problem [5], involving the foundation and behavior of the organization [6]. Many scholars have conducted a large amount of research around the concept, connotation, and antecedents of capabilities and achieved fruitful results. Under the premise of the transformation enabled by digital technology, the traditional construction engineering field is being continuously impacted by the characteristics of digitalization, networking, and intelligence [1], constantly subverting the original basic logic. At the same time, the traditional inherent structures of construction project organizations are challenged and reshaped under the empowerment of new technologies. The establishment of the framework of capabilities antecedents can bridge the gap between the micro-mechanisms of capabilities antecedents and the macro-results of capabilities, facilitating insights into the micro-foundations of organizational capabilities shaping in the context of digital construction. Moreover, revealing the formation of organizational capabilities at the micro level and constructing a clear path of capabilities formation will offer operationally feasible guidance for resolving the “capabilities predicament” of construction project organizations. Currently, there is a lack of in-depth research on the micro-foundations and systematic frameworks of the antecedents of organizational capabilities in the new era. Therefore, this paper, adopting a technological perspective within the realm of digital construction, systematically clarifies the antecedent frame of organizational capabilities and reexamines the concept of organizational capabilities in the context of digital construction models. This research contributes to enhancing the quality and efficiency of the construction industry, gaining long-term competitive advantages, and facilitating the construction sector in seizing the opportunities presented by digitization.

2. Literature Review

2.1. The Connotation of Organizational Capabilities

Organizational capabilities refers to the ability of an organization to integrate, coordinate, and utilize resources within a specific environment. This enables the organization to maintain flexibility when confronted with external changes and competition, thereby forming a distinctive competitive advantage [4]. Precisely because of this, organizational capabilities have been regarded as significant source for organizations to acquire sustained competitiveness [7]. Based on Penrose’s resource-based view, Dosi et al. interpreted organizational capabilities as specific combination of an organization’s skills, capabilities, resources, routines, and behaviors, enabling the organization to conduct activities reliably and achieve satisfactory outcomes [8]. Taking environmental factors into account, Teece et al. extended the resource-based view to propose the dynamic capability theory, defining capability as the ability of a firm to reconfigure internal and external competencies in response to environmental changes [9]. Over time, Sidney et al. explicitly separated operational capability and dynamic capability. Operational capability focuses on the zero-order ability of an organization to carry out repetitive activities to maintain the status quo, while dynamic capability is considered a higher-order ability aimed at modifying and creating new zero-order capabilities in a constantly changing environment [10].

As projects have been increasingly recognized as crucial forms of organizational economic activities, scholars have turned their attention to organizations achieving established goals and gaining economic benefits and competitive advantages through project-based approaches, with associated capabilities issues gaining significant attention. In the late 1990s, Davies and Brady introduced the concept of project capabilities. In 2016, they expanded the concept of project capabilities to include the capabilities to design and produce small batches of complex products and systems based on specific customer needs [11]. Entering the digital era, ubiquitous digital technology is altering the nature and purpose of dynamic capability [12], and discussions regarding capabilities in the context of the digital age are becoming increasingly prevalent. Warner, K.S.R. et al. proposed a model to illustrate common contingency factors for dynamic capability building in digital transformation [13]. Liu et al. divided digital capabilities into dimensions of digital foundational capabilities, digital integration capabilities, and digital empowerment capabilities [14].

2.2. Research on Organizational Capabilities Under Digital Construction Mode

The embedding of IoT, AI, and other digital technologies has reshaped the construction and management modes in the life cycle of engineering projects [15], posing new requirements for organizational capabilities and attracting increasing attention and research from scholars on organizational capabilities in the context of digital construction. Based on the dynamic capability theory, Aghimien et al. investigated the organizational capabilities necessary during the digital transformation process of the construction industry, highlighting the crucial role of construction project organizations in perceiving and acquiring resources [16]. Yang et al. and Brau et al. focused on the effects generated by organizational capabilities and discovered that the technological innovation capabilities and digital capabilities of an organization can achieve the growth of construction enterprises’ performance and project success [17,18]. Moreover, enhancing organizational capabilities by utilizing digital technology has also become an important research topic. For instance, Ahuja et al. empowered organizational capabilities with BIM technology to deliver lean project results [19]. Choiw et al. enhanced the organizational management capabilities of construction project organizations by using AI information models [20,21].

Although scholars have extensively explored the organizational capabilities of the construction industry in the digital construction context, relevant studies mainly focus on the results generated by organizational capabilities in the digital construction context, such as improving project performance and facilitating project success. Alternatively, they discuss the effect of the introduction of digital technologies on capabilities enhancement. Nevertheless, questions such as where organizational capabilities come from and how to construct them in the digital construction model still remain crucial issues that need to be resolved. Hence, it is necessary to deliberate on the antecedents of organizational capabilities in construction projects.

2.3. Antecedents of Organizational Capabilities

How organizational capabilities are formed and where they come from has attracted much attention. Existing research has shown that the sources of organizational capabilities include internal development and external acquisition.

Chandler believes that organizational capabilities come from the process of knowledge acquisition [22]. Sidney et al. contend that “ordinary capabilities are the capabilities for a company to “make a living” in the short term, and these capabilities are founded on organizational routines, such as highly patterned, repetitive or quasi-repetitive behaviors [10]. After studying the British terminal project, Davies et al. concluded that capabilities are built through a three-stage process, namely learning, codification, and mobilization [23]. The core logic of research findings in the field of organizational capabilities sources by the scholar revolves around organizational learning. Based on evolutionary theory, Davies et al. pointed out that companies can rely on dynamic capabilities to maintain their existing project capabilities, where the capabilities base includes tacit knowledge, experience, specific contextual knowledge, real-time experiential learning, and improvisation [11]. Under this theoretical foundation, sources of capabilities also include project routines [24]. Narayanan et al. and Helfat, C.E. similarly argue that organizational capabilities originate from internal development. In the context of digitization, where projects are becoming increasingly complex and built on the foundation of technological integration and interdisciplinary collaboration, Sunila Lobo et al. suggest that coordination plays a crucial role in the capabilities-building process [25]. Warner et al. propose that the formation of capabilities involves the continuous renewal and replacement of business models, collaborative methods, and culture [13]. In summary, under the perspective of internal development, capabilities are considered endogenous, formed through knowledge, experience, resource integration, organizational learning, or organizational routines, making them the mainstream in the antecedent framework of capabilities.

When the organization cannot internally develop or satisfy operational requirements through organizational learning and existing resources, or when internally developed capabilities fall short of meeting the demands of project operations, the organization will resort to the convenient and efficient mechanism of external acquisition to effectively address capabilities deficiencies. In comparison to internal development, the forms of externally acquired capabilities are relatively diverse, including methods such as hiring and acquisitions, collaborations [26], mergers [27,28], alliances [29], and others.

Reviewing the research achievements of past scholars, it is evident that the study of organizational capabilities has a long history and has yielded abundant results, with extensive cross-cutting coverage of research theories and outcomes. However, current research faces the following limitations. Firstly, with regard to the connotation and formation of organizational capabilities, the majority of research has been carried out at the enterprise level. Compared with enterprises, which are types of permanent organizations with standardized processes, construction project organizations have notable characteristics such as complexity and heterogeneity. The current research achievements on the organizational capabilities of enterprises cannot meet the requirements for the capabilities development of construction project organizations. Secondly, differences in the definitions and connotations of organizational capabilities at different times indicate a deep connection between discussions on organizational capabilities and specific historical contexts. In the current era of rapid environmental changes, technological advancements, and profound integration of technology and industry under the paradigm of digital construction, these epochal characteristics are bound to profoundly alter the connotations of organizational capabilities. Therefore, this paper delves into the fundamental sources of organizational capabilities in the context of digital construction models and defines their concept to address the deficiencies in the current literature research.

3. Methods

3.1. Research Methods

The grounded theory is a theory generated from empirical data and is suitable for studying theoretical concepts whose connotations and extensions are unclear or controversial [30], especially related research in new situations. This article takes typical projects that deeply apply digital construction technology as cases to explore how construction project organizational capabilities are formed under the digital construction model. The research method flowchart is shown in Figure 1.

3.2. Data Collection

3.2.1. Data Source and Collection Process

The grounded theory data collection process is dynamic, and relevant data need to be continuously supplemented according to research progress and collation and analysis. Simultaneously, there is no a priori theoretical framework at the outset of the research. Consequently, it is challenging in the early stages of the study to precisely determine specific sampling targets and data sources.

In order to obtain more in-depth and reliable information, a theoretical sampling method was used to select interview objects, and relevant people and cases were found according to the research purpose [31]. From January 2023 to June 2023, we visited Beijing, Xiongan New Area, Wuhan, Kunming, and other regions to conduct in-depth field research and selected 9 representative people with experience in digital construction technology projects to conduct semi-structured interviews. They had a deep understanding and reflection on the impact of technology penetrating organizations. Interviewers needed to have more than five years of work experience and have participated in more than 35 typical projects. Construction project personnel with different qualifications needed to be considered in a balanced manner. The “progressive focusing method” was used to conduct interviews; that is, we started with general topics and gradually delved into specific areas. Under the premise of following research ethics, the interview process was recorded and transcribed for subsequent data analysis. Detailed information about interviewees is shown in

Table 1. Information about the interviewee.

Expert Number	Gender	Age (Years)	Position	Education	Work Experience	Participated Projects	Project Distribution
1	Male	21–30	Technical Engineer	Bachelor’s degree	5	Shanghai Minhang Foxconn, Shanghai Qingpu Huawei H Block Industrial Park, Jiangsu Zhenjiang East Station	Shanghai, Jiangsu
2	Male	21–30	Executive Manager	Bachelor’s degree	7	Beijing Daxing International Airport, Hebei Provincial People’s Hospital, Qingdao International Academician Port, Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, Xiong’an New Area International Hotel	Beijing, Hebei, Shandong, Xiong’an New Area
3	Male	31–40	Technical Leader	Bachelor’s degree	8	Zhejiang Quzhou Sports Center, West Lake Laboratory, Wanwei Changsha Kaifu Park	Zhejiang, Hunan
4	Male	31–40	Technical Department Manager	Bachelor’s degree	13	Chengdu Education Academy Affiliated Middle School, Chengdu Linjiangyuan Phase II Resettlement Project, Mianyang Pipe Gallery Project, Xiongan Civic Service Center	Sichuan, Xiong’an New Area
5	Male	41–50	Technical Department Manager	Associate degree	20	Beijing Daxing International Airport, Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, “Smart Jinnan” and Data Lake (Phase I) PPP Project, Hebei Provincial People’s Hospital	Beijing, Shandong, Tianjin, Hebei
6	Male	41–50	Senior Engineer	Master’s degree	28	Puer Industrial Park, Chengjiang Fossil Museum, Chuncheng Road Extension Line and Guandu Main 5 Road Underground Comprehensive Pipe Gallery, Funing County Na Heng Reservoir	Yunnan
7	Male	21–30	BIM Engineer	Bachelor’s degree	6	Kunming Dounan Flower Town, Yuxi Third People’s Hospital, Jiangxi Yingtan Area Road Project, Lin’an District Qingshan Lake Urban Living Room	Yunnan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang
8	Male	31–40	Project Manager	Bachelor’s degree	13	Bachelor’s degree 13 Hulunbuir Chihong Mining Construction Project, Chongqing Qijiang Science and Technology Innovation Center Steel Structure Demonstration Project EPC General Contract, Kunming First People’s Hospital Ganmei International Hospital	Yunnan, Chongqing
9	Male	31–40	Assistant Project Manager	Bachelor’s degree	12	Bachelor’s degree 12 Suzhou International Financial Center, Wuhan Taikang Financial Center, Chongqing Luhai International Center, Zhuhai World Trade Port Zhuhai Macau Port City	Jiangsu, Hubei, Chongqing, Guangdong

.

To enhance research validity, it is essential to acquire data through multiple channels [32]. In January 2023 to June 2023, we selected five different regions and types of construction projects with digital construction technology as the main driving force as case studies. Secondary data was collected from various sources, including academic articles from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) [33,34,35,36,37,38,39] (Supplementary Materials), case studies of major engineering projects, news reports, special web pages, and documentaries, to supplement the interview data analysis. The sources of secondary data are listed in the appendix. Additionally, the information collected from different channels for the same project was validated based on the triangulation principle. Specific project-related details are provided in

Table 2. Information related to the research project.

Project Name	Project Type	City	Digital Construction Technologies	Year
Beijing Daxing International Airport	Comprehensive Engineering	Beijing	BIM, GIS, VR, AR, AI, Cloud Computing, etc.	December 2014–June 2021
Shanghai Tower	Skyscraper	Shanghai	BIM, GIS, IoT, Engineering Environmental Performance Simulation, etc.	November 2008–December 2014
Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge	Long-span Bridge	Hong Kong, Macau, Zhuhai	BIM, 5G, Industrial IoT, Big Data, AI, etc.	December 2009–April 2023
Wuhan Metro Line 2 Cross-Yangtze River Tunnel	Subway	Wuhan	Engineering IoT, Wireless Sensor Networks, RFID, etc.	January 2009–September 2011
Baihetan Hydropower Station	Hydropower Dam	Zhaotong City	Big Data, Engineering IoT, Temperature Sensing Technology, etc.	August 2011–May 2021

. Through the collection of semi-structured interviews and secondary materials, over 300,000 characters of data meeting the research requirements were ultimately compiled.

This study categorized the collected data into two groups: interview data and three typical cases, which were selected for text analysis, employing open coding to construct antecedents of organizational capabilities in construction projects. Two additional typical cases were selected for theoretical saturation testing. The researcher gained a profound understanding of the essence of organizational capabilities and the characteristics of digital construction models through a literature review, providing guidance for data collection and analysis. Two graduate students encoded the collected data during the research process. Discrepancies in coding were resolved through repeated in-depth discussions to achieve consensus, minimizing subjective and one-sided conclusions.

3.2.2. Data Processing

The data processing strictly adheres to a three-tier coding process, following the principle of “constant comparison”, which is not a linear procedure. During the synthesis process, if new categories emerge, a reassessment of previously coded data is necessary to ensure accurate data processing with clear category distinctions, achieving theoretical saturation.

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Open Coding: Through comprehensive reading of the collected data, the true picture of specific events can be restored. The researcher breaks down the collected materials into independent events, interprets them sentence by sentence to discover concepts, labels them, and establishes initial categories. After 4 months of data collection and analysis, 682 labeled data were obtained, as shown in

Table 3. Results of labeled data sorting.

Engineering Project	Data Coding Range	Number of Labels
Interview data	FT1~FT312	312
Beijing Daxing International Airport	PKX1~PKX156	156
Shanghai Tower	ST1~ST69	69
Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge	HZ1~HZ97	97
Wuhan Metro Line 2 cross-river tunnel	ML1~ML37	37
Baihetan Hydropower Station	BH1~BH11	11
Total		682

. The relevant labeled data were summarized into a conceptual code, and 118 open categories were finally extracted. Part of the process is shown in

Table 4. Some examples of open coding.

Original Material	Open Coding (Labeled)	Open Coding Process (Conceptualized)
After digitization, the decisions they make are based on some data that we have brought up. This is scientific for them (FT56) Through deep mining and intelligent analysis of operational data, scientific decision-making, and autonomous dynamic adjustments can be achieved, further promoting a healthier system operation, more resource-efficient operation guarantee, and more efficient operation management (PKX44)	FT56 Data provide a basis for scientific decision-making PKX44 Data achieve scientific decision-making	aa67 Data provide decision support
The application of BIM technology can continue throughout the entire lifecycle of construction projects, from design and construction to operation and maintenance (HZ16) From the approval process to the final completion acceptance, completion delivery, and post-operation and maintenance use, BIM is applied in a comprehensive and full-process manner (FT41)	HZ16 BIM technology is continuously applied throughout the project lifecycle FT41 BIM technology is applied comprehensively and throughout the entire process	aa62 BIM technology applies throughout the entire project management process
By constructing a three-dimensional digital information model, traditional barriers between parties are broken, and information exchange and sharing are achieved (ST48)	ST48 Digital information models achieve information exchange and sharing	aa16 Information sharing and collaboration

Note: Open coding process code letter represents the following text content. For example, “aa67” in “aa67 Data provide decision support” means “Data provide decision support”. Additionally, the rest of the code represents the source of the data.

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Axial Coding and Selective Coding: Axial coding involves analyzing various category relationships such as causal relationships, contextual relationships, structural relationships, semantic relationships, etc. Based on this analysis, the independent categories obtained from open coding are further integrated and refined to form main and sub-categories. Selective coding, building upon core coding, involves extracting core categories from the main categories and establishing overall connections between categories to develop a theoretical model. In this study, through core coding, the 118 open categories were condensed into 24 secondary categories. These secondary categories were selectively coded into 6 core categories. For specific details, refer to

Table 5. Results of organizational ability antecedents coding.

Open Coding (Conceptualization)	Axial Coding (Minor Category)	Selective Coding (Core Coding)
aa43 Economic benefit target	a1 Goal orientation	A1 Value integration
aa89 Competitive advantage orientation
aa110 Honor goal
aa75 Value-added objective
aa111 Image project, benchmarking goal
aa42 Intelligent management objectives
aa7 Complex project requirements	a2 Multiple requirements
aa40 High coordination requirement
aa6 Higher level requirements
aa92 Specification requirement
aa117 BIM technology project management concept	a3 Digital concept
aa9 Big data concept
aa103 Digital thinking
aa116 Data value concept
aa90 Strategic level technology concept
aa76 Each performs his own duties	a4 Organizational culture
aa41 Create an organizational atmosphere
aa91 Leadership innovation consciousness
aa59 Executive level attaches great importance to project construction
aa46 Strategic level of technical support
aa45 The participants strongly support and cooperate
aa81 Policy response	a5 Environment guidance
aa104 Market-driven
aa105 Typical project driving
aa54 Technology, system enabling benefits
aa5 Accumulate test data	a6 Data engine	A2 Data traction
aa39 Data empower value
aa14 Accurate data are paramount
aa67 Data provide decision support
aa74 The system automatically alarms according to the data
aa66 Data sharing	a7 Data interaction
aa15 Digital twin
aa47 Bidirectional data backup
aa38 Information collection	a8 Information integration
aa93 Information integration of models
aa16 Information sharing and collaboration
aa65 Information integration supports decision-making
aa112 BIM visualizes hazard information
aa64 Visual information to achieve operation and maintenance management
aa94 Real-time analysis of edge data	a9 Real-time management
aa113 The whole process of grasping site management
aa4 Monitoring system real-time integrated management
aa13 Transfer key personnel	a17 Professional talents	A3 Resource integration
aa70 Experienced personnel
aa55 Elite personnel from various regions
aa82 Scientific research team
aa1 Cooperative association
aa115 Specialized team
aa86 Digital resource	a18 Knowledge assets
aa21 Professional knowledge
aa33 Patent resources
aa52 Organizational learning
aa34 Cultivate internal skills
aa19 Integration of advanced technology experience	a19 Experience integration
aa49 Learn from experience
aa3 Experience accumulation
aa20 Digital technology, system exploration experience
aa100 Acquisition of external teams	a20 External acquisition
aa36 Cross-border cooperation
aa58 Acquisition of high-end technology
aa57 Outsourcing service
aa37 System introduction
aa35 Bring in external research forces
aa87 Purchasing hardware and software technology
aa80 Integrated intelligence capabilities	a10 Coupling enabling	A4 Technology integration
aa11 Technology can solve traditional problems
aa79 Technology integration lays the foundation for data intelligence
aa72 Technology integrated operational automation
aa56 Digital technology optimization work
aa114 Material management with networked technology
aa51 System integration	a11 System emergence
aa60 Integrated intelligent system application
aa50 Information management system application
aa101 BIM, iot technology simplifies work	a12 Agile response
aa2 Simplify collaboration
aa8 Quick problem solving
aa102 Artificial intelligence simplifies work
aa73 System support quick troubleshooting vulnerabilities
aa12 Technology assists in achieving goals	a13 Goal realization
aa83 BIM technology solves construction problems
aa69 Monitoring technology combined with a cloud platform to get the job done
aa77 BIM technology integration and professional collaboration	a14 Technical collaboration	A5 Digital collaboration
aa97 Technical integration and professional collaboration
aa96 Technology drives professional integration
aa68 People and technology complement each other
aa95 Unified data standard
aa88 Unified information platform
aa17 Information sharing integration professional collaboration
aa98 Visualization helps communication and coordination	a15 Communication connection
aa119 Communication under technology and platform
aa18 Coordinate work
aa99 Sense of trust	a16 Organizational collaboration
aa48 Teamwork
aa10 Behind the handover of work
aa78 Informatization organization structure
aa30 Internal integration
aa84 Team staffing is reasonable
aa32 Cloud processing	a21 Work change	A6 Numerical routines
aa108 “AI” security monitoring, personnel control
aa107 “AI” material identification, personnel attendance
aa27 BIM technology controls the site
aa109 BIM technology construction simulation
aa63 BIM information model guides construction
aa106 BIM technology dissects the underlying logic
aa62 BIM technology application process project management
aa22 Electronic information innovation
aa28 New ways to connect big data devices
aa23 Technology to identify risks, set up plans
aa53 Work more integrated
aa120 Digital simulation
aa29 Problem advance
aa31 Technical system construction	a22 Digital management system
aa26 Refined information management platform based on data
aa25 Technology construction management system to support scientific decision-making
aa71 Build a visual operation management platform
aa44 Paperless process	a23 Digital process
aa24 New technologies form workflows
aa61Workflow under intelligent system

Note: ¹ This paper uses open coding, axial coding, and selective coding in three levels of coding. “A” represents the results of selective coding, “a” represents the results of axial coding, and “aa” represents the results of open coding. For example, “A6” means “numerical convention”. The Arabic numerals following the letters represent the coding order. ² Data source: interview-based text conversion results and secondary data analysis.

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Theoretical Saturation Test: To ensure the reliability of the research, after the preliminary construction of the antecedent dimension, this study conducted a theoretical saturation test on the textual data collected from two cases, namely, the Wuhan Metro Line 2 Cross-Yangtze River Tunnel and Baihetan Hydropower Station. Through coding the project data and comparing it with the initially formed categories, no new concepts emerged. Therefore, it is considered that the antecedent dimension constructed earlier has reached theoretical saturation.

4. Result

4.1. The Constituent Dimensions of Organizational Capabilities Antecedents

Through the unified coding processing of data, this research refines six antecedent dimensions of organizational capabilities, namely value integration, data traction, resource integration, technology integration, digital collaboration, and digital routines.

Value integration is the leading condition and fundamental element for the formation of organizational capabilities, encompassing goal orientation, multiple requirements, digital concepts, organizational culture, and environmental guidance. The interview evidence indicates that digital technology has brought forth brand-new digital concepts, altered organizational culture, and imposed requirements for environmental protection and noise reduction during the construction process. This trend has exerted an environmental guiding force on enterprises. A respondent who has participated in projects such as the Affiliated High School of Chengdu Education and Science Research Institute, the Second Phase of Linjiangyuan Resettlement Housing in Chengdu, the Mianyang Pipe Gallery Project, and the Xiongan Citizen Service Center explained as follows:

“The decision-making level must first recognize the technological advantages and consider the project benefits. On the one hand, policy support is required, and on the other hand, it needs to be verified through practice. Then, some positive guidance can be generated in society. As a result, everyone may gradually accept the transformation”.

Data traction encompasses data engines, data interaction, information integration, and real-time management. With the continuous infusion of digital technology, data traction has emerged as a crucial supporting element constituting the antecedents of an organization. The primary data indicate that the purpose of organizations strengthening technological application is to enhance the capabilities of data search, interaction, and integration and to carry out timely management for obtaining a competitive edge. For instance, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge employs advanced technologies to collect data such as deformation, stress, and environmental conditions at various key structural points, achieving real-time monitoring of bridge structure safety, data analysis, abnormal alerts, and remote management.

Under the background of digitalization, the essential attributes of resources have undergone great changes [40]. Resource integration includes knowledge assets, experience integration, external acquisition, and professional talent. Capabilities have resource-dependent characteristics, and effective integration of resources is an important foundation element for capabilities building. In the digital construction context, organizations need to maintain the integration and acquisition of knowledge resources and technical management experience to gain a competitive advantage. Having digital literacy professional talent is crucial for organizations to achieve technological empowerment and is a core resource for building organizational capabilities. A technical department manager who has participated in projects such as Beijing Daxing International Airport, Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, “Smart Jinan” and Data Lake (Phase I) PPP project, and Hebei Provincial People’s Hospital explained as follows:

“We, the younger generation, learn from the experience of the older generation and learn some new technologies. From the perspective of the application of new technologies, the application of new technologies and experimental research are very dependent on talent, and also require teams to continuously experiment and explore”.

Technology integration includes coupling enablement, system emergence, agile response, and goal realization. The advent of emerging technologies enables organizations to conduct rapid and precise analyses, respond nimbly to environmental changes, precisely empower the management process, and facilitate goal realization. For instance, the application of technologies such as BIM and VR visualizes the construction effect by establishing 3D models, resolves the cost and persistence predicament of relying on manual investigation in the traditional mode, and realizes the intelligent efficiency improvement of the project. The use of sensors enhances the agility of organizational environmental perception. The integrated utilization of numerous technologies is an important process on which organizations rely to achieve project goals.

Digital collaboration includes technical collaboration, communication connection, and organizational collaboration. Digital collaboration is an important process attribute of capabilities formation. Due to the emergence of technology, projects bring about information diversity, and organizations need to reduce data uncertainty through technological collaboration, enhance communication connectivity, transform collaboration modes, and facilitate organizational coordination and alignment to achieve project goals. For example, in the construction of the Zhuhai Port of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge, structural engineering communicated with architects through a digital platform, eliminating professional barriers. The project also achieved digital damage-free transmission through a unified digital platform, driving project progress.

Digital routines are standardized work processes that empower traditional construction activities with digital technologies and systems. They are a direct reflection of the role of digital construction technology in building organizational capabilities, including work changes, digital management systems, and digital processes. The application of digital technologies and systems has profoundly altered the underlying basis of traditional work, giving rise to a series of working processes that are simplified, paperless, and traceable. For instance, in the project management of Shanghai Tower, a complete set of BIM working processes, technical standards, and regulatory norms were established, transforming the traditional working mode and using BIM for auxiliary management.

4.2. The Relationship Between the Antecedents of Organizational Capabilities

This paper inherits the perspective that capabilities are constructed through a combination of external acquisition and internal development, reflecting the complementarity of internal and external aspects in building organizational capabilities [26]. The antecedents of construction project organizational capabilities are categorized into three levels: basic elements, process attributes, and behavioral criteria. Among them, behavioral criteria represent the ultimate manifestation of the processes and procedures empowered by technology in the project. The formation of behavioral criteria occurs through three pathways: direct formation from foundational elements, generation through process attributes, and the formation of basic elements through process attributes, as illustrated in Figure 2.

Value integration, data traction, and resource integration are the basic elements of building project organizational capabilities, and they shape the new routines under the digital construction model, which is the first path to the formation of routines. Technology integration and digital collaboration together constitute the process attribute of organizational capabilities, which becomes the second path of routine formation. The third path through which digital routines are formed is the indirect shaping of the underlying elements through their process properties.

5. Discussion

The microscopic mechanism of the formation of organizational capabilities in the context of digital construction is not clear. Based on the rooted theory, this study extracts six antecedent dimensions of organizational capabilities, divides them into three levels: basic elements, process attributes, and behavioral criteria, discusses three action paths, and thus builds a systematic antecedent model framework for organizational capabilities.

5.1. Hierarchical Analysis of Antecedents of Organizational Capabilities

The penetration of digital technology has changed the value concept of the organization, and the organization needs to establish digital thought and value orientation according to the project characteristics, norms, and relevant requirements of technology [14]. Moreover, data have been regarded as an important means of production [41], and digital platforms have gradually evolved into the main form of organization [40] to achieve real-time management of projects. In addition, knowledge, experience, and talents are prominent elements of organizational resources [42], and organizations acquire resources through mergers and acquisitions, cooperation, and other ways to provide a foundation for capabilities building. Based on this, the value integration, data traction, and resource integration realized by the construction project organization in the context of digital construction constitute the important antecedent basic elements of organizational capabilities construction.

Compared with previous projects, regardless of internal development or external introduction, numerous emerging technologies and refined management systems are concentrated in the construction project organization, providing algorithmic analysis to form an agile response to environmental complexity, volatility, and uncertainty [43,44,45] under the digital background, which is an important response process to achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement through technology integration. In addition, the influx of diversified technologies into construction projects will inevitably lead to multi-source heterogeneity of data formats and underlying information, which requires technical cooperation to reduce the asymmetry of data and information, and organizations will change the way of collaboration through digital communication [46,47], reduce the redundant links of communication and break physical boundaries. When big data does not fit with key organizational structures, digital technologies struggle to create value [48]. Therefore, organizations need to set up an information architecture to achieve the coordinated development of multi-trait business and production. It can be seen that effective digital collaboration and technology integration are important process attributes of organizational change at this stage so as to achieve the overall organizational goals.

In the context of digital construction, in addition to establishing a set of digital management systems with clear objectives, clear responsibilities, standardized processes, timely monitoring and correction of deviations, and adequate risk prevention [48], organizations also need to change the previous working methods and methods. For example, relying on technology simulation, the material presentation of physical space is transformed into digital form [40], and the path forward from risk processing to risk monitoring is realized. Finally, organizations use digital technology to redesign and optimize internal processes to form digital processes, and the optimized digital processes will further evolve into organizational codes of conduct. This kind of digital flow just confirms Teece’s view that organizational capabilities are based on certain processes [9].

5.2. Analysis of Antecedent Action Path of Organizational Capabilities

Through further analysis of the causal relationships among the antecedents, three pathways for the formation of digital conventions were identified. These structured conventions offer a stable and reusable foundation for developing organizational capabilities in construction projects within the context of digital construction.

Firstly, the first path dominated by basic elements emphasizes the direct effect of value integration, data traction, and resource integration on routines. The change in environment is an inevitable condition for the implementation of new concepts in projects [49]. Along with the influence of factors such as the application of technology, diversified and refined project requirements, and policies, it is necessary to unify the project goals and the implementation concept of digital technology before the project starts. In the context of digital construction, construction projects rely on new technologies to create exemplary projects in the industry. Therefore, it requires professional talents to implement the digitalization concept of the project and form new resource allocation by re-integrating the internal and external experience and knowledge of the organization, complete resource reconfiguration, and thereby recreate organizational routines [50]. Meanwhile, data are regarded as a key element driving organizations and operations [51]. The core of technology empowerment lies in data. Therefore, activities such as collection, interaction, integration, and management centered on data have become new organizational activities.

Secondly, the second path of process attributes empowerment emphasizes the linkage effect of technology integration and digital collaboration on routines. Technology cannot only stay at the application level but ultimately needs to be integrated into the daily operations and processes of the organization, forming organizational capabilities that match the digital construction era and bringing value to the organization. On the one hand, the influx of emerging technologies into construction project organizations inevitably creates operational barriers with existing routines, and in the context of digital construction, organizations urgently rely on information technology to achieve competitive advantages. Therefore, organizations need to update and modify existing routines [52]. On the other hand, when many technologies gather construction projects, different technology types and data standards will inevitably bring about corresponding coordination problems, which require digital coordination to deal with such problems. Moreover, technology collaboration depends on the degree of compatibility between technology application and routines [53]. In the context of the blowout explosion of information technology and systems, the original routines accumulated by organizations face the risk of “failure”. At this time, the continuous improvement of the degree of digital collaboration promotes the formation of new collaborative routines in organizations [54].

Finally, the basic element plays an indirect role in shaping the third path of digital routines, revealing the progressive logic of the causal factors of organizational capabilities. The basic element provides directional guidance for the implementation philosophy and expected goal achievement of the organization and provides conditions for the extensive application of digital construction technologies. In addition, the basic element provides the necessary data, resources, etc., for technological empowerment, thus supporting the smooth realization of project goals through digital construction technologies. Secondly, after the organization has the basic conditions, it begins to apply technology to handle organizational tasks. As the complexity of construction project tasks and technologies increases [55], the organization coordinates data, resources, and teams through digital collaboration to jointly execute tasks, enabling the project organization to be more agile in efficiently handling tasks. At the same time, digital technology can also create an open, innovative cultural atmosphere, promoting collaborative innovation [55]. When a series of innovations are proven to bring benefits to the organization, the process attributes based on the basic element will transform traditional work paradigms through formal or informal means, ultimately leading to a series of new workflows forming the behavioral criteria of the project organization.

By exploring the formation basis of organizational capabilities from a micro perspective and analyzing the interaction path of causal factors of organizational capabilities, this paper believes that the connotation of organizational capabilities in the digital context is that all stakeholders, guided by a common value goal, base their work on precise data and information aggregation and interaction as the foundation, rely on digital technology integration empowerment system, effectively integrate internal and external resources of the construction project organization, form digital routines, thus adapting to the external environment of technological change and jointly achieving project goals.

6. Conclusions

Based on the collection and analysis of semi-structured interviews and text materials, this paper takes digital technology as the breakthrough point, uses the qualitative research method of grounded theory to explore the micro foundation of organizational capabilities formation, and then puts forward the concept of organizational capabilities of construction projects under the digital construction mode. These findings have implications for the literature on developing organizational capabilities for construction projects in the context of digital construction while responding to Chanias et al. More research is needed to explore the issue of digitally driven organizational change [56].

6.1. Theoretical Contribution

First, the antecedents of organizational capabilities comprise six dimensions, namely, value fusion, data traction, resource integration, technological integration, digital collaboration, and digital conventions. Secondly, the role relationship model of antecedent dimensions of construction project organizational capabilities is constructed. This paper categorizes value fusion, data traction, and resource integration as foundational elements of project organizational capabilities, while technological integration and digital systems serve as process attributes and digital conventions function as behavioral guidelines. There are three pathways for the formation of behavioral guidelines: direct formation through foundational elements, generation through process attributes, and internalization through foundational elements via process attributes. The model of capabilities antecedents aligns with the classification proposed by Leiringer R et al.: internal development and external acquisition [4], and the specific indicators of antecedent dimensions reflect the complementary nature of internally and externally constructed capabilities [16]. Third, through tracing the origins of organizational capabilities antecedents, the concept of organizational capabilities is introduced, laying the groundwork for subsequent empirical research and contributing to the theoretical development of organizational capabilities.

6.2. Practical Inspiration

The research also illustrates from a practical perspective how construction projects build organizational capabilities to adapt to changes in the external environment caused by technological changes. First, construction projects must adjust implementation concepts, establish reasonable project goals based on the rapid changes in the digital era, and create an organizational atmosphere that values digital technology. During the implementation process, it is necessary to follow the logic of digital technology and make full use of the auxiliary value of data. Second, the project needs to establish a digital technology team to continuously update knowledge and experience, improve collaboration capabilities, and form digital routines that the organization should follow. Finally, considering factors such as economy and efficiency, if the project lacks internal development capabilities, mergers and acquisitions, outsourcing, or cross-border cooperation can be selected to meet capabilities-building needs.

6.3. Research Limitations and Future Prospects

This research has the following limitations. First, grounded theory still has a certain degree of subjectivity in the process of constructing the theory. In subsequent research methods, large sample data can be used for quantitative research to evaluate and measure the sources of capabilities. Second, the formation of capabilities is not achieved overnight. There are differences in the focus of capabilities formation at different stages. In the future, more targeted multi-stage discussions and analyses can be carried out at different stages by collecting longitudinal data to enhance the universality of the conclusions. Third, this study uses multi-province and multi-type cases from China’s construction industry for coding analysis, which provides in-depth insights into the anthems of construction project organizational capacity. Due to the differences in the development of digital construction technology and industry environments in different countries, future research can conduct interviews and surveys for digital construction projects and participants around the world and expand case sources to make research results more universal and reliable.