Enhancing the Technology-Organization-Environment Theory for Interorganizational BIM Adoption: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The adoption of Interorganizational Building Information Modelling in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry remains limited because existing technology adoption theories do not adequately address the collaborative and interdependent nature of projects involving multiple organizations. Although the Technology–Organization–Environment framework is widely used to explain organizational technology adoption, it overlooks the social, interoperability, and legal dimensions required for effective interorganizational collaboration. This study extends the Technology–Organization–Environment framework by integrating these collaborative dimensions to provide a more comprehensive theoretical foundation for Interorganizational Building Information Modelling adoption. A qualitative systematic literature review was conducted using 105 peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2023 and retrieved from Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science. The data were synthesized using descriptive statistical analysis and meta-analysis. The findings show that the traditional technology, organization, and environment dimensions contributed less to Interorganizational Building Information Modelling adoption than the collaborative dimensions of interoperability, legal, and social factors. The study concludes that incorporating these collaborative dimensions into the Technology–Organization–Environment framework strengthens its ability to explain and support interorganizational collaboration and provides a more robust theoretical basis for improving collaborative project delivery in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry.

Keywords: BIM Adoption, TOE Theory, IBIM Model, Interorganizational Context.