Interconnectivity in Collaboration Networks Impact on Member Belongingness

Abstract

The nature of the construction industry is project-oriented with extensive collaborations. Belongingness, formed from collaborations, represents a sense of membership and an emotional attachment to teams. Team members’ belongingness improves their performance and participation in collaboration. However, little to no evidence elucidates how collaborations influence member belongingness. This paper presents a social network study that identified the relationship between individual member’s network position and belongingness. The authors surveyed construction students in the US and conducted regressions to identify the relationship. Results showed that member belongingness is related negatively to the member’s network interconnectivity. The results suggest that a team member is likely to achieve high belongingness when they have a hub position to connect immediate partners. The findings imply that connections with interdisciplinary stakeholders can increase belongingness.