Using PLS-PM to model the process of inter-project learning in construction projects

• We found two constructs of inter-project learning: social and technical.
• The constructs embrace learning mechanisms in a hierarchical model.
• Using PLS-PM facilitates the hierarchical model’s analysis and validation.
• Inter-project learning mechanisms are intertwined and continuous process.

Learning across projects is a vital part of avoiding the repetition of mistakes. The temporary nature of projects magnifies the need to determine the process of inter-project learning and knowledge transfer. A hierarchical model is proposed comprising four dimensions of inter-project learning and their indicators. Data were collected through a questionnaire conducted on professionals working on 36 large construction sites in Malaysia. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) through partial least squares-path modeling (PLS-PM) was used for the hierarchical model identification as well as validity, reliability, and quality testing. The results show two constructs, social and technical, comprise the learning indicators across the construction projects. A new approach to inter-project learning is then proposed that describes the interaction between the four processes — experience accumulation, knowledge articulation, knowledge codification, and knowledge transfer.