Mapping the knowledge domain of stakeholder perspective studies in construction projects : a bibliometric approach

Abstract

Construction projects require the effective collaboration among the various types of stakeholders involved to succeed, thus leading to stakeholder perspective studies in construction projects. The study proposes an integrated bibliometric approach to detect the knowledge evolution, domain and frontier with a broader searching scope compared with manual review. A total of 752 peer-reviewed academic papers published until the end of 2017 are used. The knowledge evolution indicates seven milestones in history, namely, stakeholder concept, method, identification, assessment, management, influence and complexity. The identified knowledge domain consists of four major research areas which are society, sustainability, analytical tool and project management. The knowledge frontier is also revealed, including a dearth of detailed discussions on stakeholder engagement in sustainable urban projects, lack of generalisation of stakeholder studies in complex construction projects, limited application of dynamic and simulation stakeholder analysis in uncertain project environment and few instant and accurate approaches to integrate stakeholder information. The study provides a holistic knowledge map for the past, current and future of stakeholder perspective studies in construction projects.