MIDDLE RANGE THEORIZING ABOUT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IMPACT: A STUDY OF 3D CAD IMPACT ON CONSTRUCTION WORK PRACTICES by RYAN JORY BAXTER Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Kalle Lyytinen Information Systems Department CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY May 2008 CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES We hereby approve the thesis/dissertation of _____________________________________________________Ryan J. Baxter candidate for the ______________________degreePh.D. in Management *. Kalle Lyytinen (signed)_______________________________________________ (chair of the committee) Paul Carlile ________________________________________________ Richard Boland ________________________________________________ Youngjin Yoo ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ (date) _______________________January 14, 2008 *We also certify that written approval has been obtained for any proprietary material contained therein. Copyright © 2008 by Ryan Jory Baxter All rights reserved To my wife, Karen, an eternal source of encouragement, strength, and patience helping me to remember that which is of greatest worth. We did it! TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ 6 ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ 7 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 9 2.0 REFLECTIVE LEVEL: TRADEOFFS IN THEORIZING ................................. 12 2.1 REVIEW OF MIDDLE RANGE THEORY AND THEORIZING ........................................ 15 2.2 STRATEGIES FOR MIDDLE RANGE THEORIZING...................................................... 17 2.3 RISKS AND BENEFITS OF MIDDLE RANGE THEORIZING .......................................... 23 2.4 APPLICATION OF MIDDLE RANGE THINKING FOR IT IMPACT RESEARCH ............... 25 3.0 PRIOR IT IMPACT RESEARCH ........................................................................ 26 3.1 CAUSALITY: GENERAL, CONTINGENT AND PHENOMENOLOGICAL ............................ 27 3.1.1 General and contingent causality .................................................................... 27 3.1.2 Phenomenological Causality ........................................................................... 32 3.1.3 Identifying a Middle Range for Causality of IT Impact ................................ 35 3.1.3.1 Causal Agency .......................................................................................... 35 3.1.3.2 Logical Structure ....................................................................................... 36 3.1.3.3 Level of Analysis ...................................................................................... 37 3.1.4 Illustrations of Middle Range Moves ............................................................ 38 3.2 THE NATURE OF THE IT ARTIFACT ........................................................................... 42 3.2.1 Juxtaposing Different Philosophical Assumptions of IT Artifact Conceptualizations .................................................................................................... 47 3.2.2 A Middle Range Conceptualization for Theorizing About the IT Artifact .... 58 3.3 CONCEPTUALIZING THE OUTCOMES OF IT IMPACT ................................................ 60 3.4 SUMMARY OF IT IMPACT LITERATURE .................................................................. 69 4.0 IT IMPACT: 2D TO 3D CAD IN ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING, AND CONSTRUCTION ............................................................................................................ 71 4.1 EARLY CAD IMPACT LITERATURE: GENERAL AND SIMPLE EXPLANATIONS TO EXPLAIN PRODUCTIVITY ................................................................................................ 72 4.2 THE PRACTICE TURN IN CAD RESEARCH .............................................................. 75 4.3 KNOWLEDGE-BASED VIEW OF CAD IMPACT ......................................................... 77 4.4 CAD FACILITATING COORDINATION ..................................................................... 79 4.5 THE ROLE OF CAD FROM A PRACTICE-BASED VIEW OF KNOWLEDGE ................... 80 4.6 SITUATING A STUDY OF 3D CAD IMPACT IN RADICAL ARCHITECTURE ................ 82 4.7 AN APPROACH TO STUDYING 3D CAD IN AEC ..................................................... 84 4.7.1 Conceptualization of 3D CAD in AEC.......................................................... 86 4.7.2 Conceptualization of AEC Work Practice .................................................... 87 4.8 SUMMARY OF MIDDLE RANGE THEORIZING IN 3D CAD IMPACT WITHIN AEC ..... 89 5.0 A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING TRADITIONAL AEC PRACTICE AND THE USE OF 2D REPRESENTATIONS ................................. 90 1 5.1 HOW THE FIVE W’S AND H RELATE TO WORK PRACTICES AND CAD TECHNOLOGY 95 5.2 DYNAMIC LINKAGES OF AEC WORK PRACTICE DIMENSIONS ............................. 100 5.3 THE CURRENT STATE OF CONSTRAINT IN AEC WORK PRACTICE ........................ 104 6.0 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................. 106 6.1 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGICAL OBJECTIVES ................................... 106 6.2 DATA SOURCES .................................................................................................... 107 6.3 DATA COLLECTION .............................................................................................. 108 6.4 DATA ANALYSIS .................................................................................................. 109 6.4.1 Coding Strategy ............................................................................................. 111 6.4.1.1 Coding Specifics ..................................................................................... 112 6.4.1.2 Process Strategy – Direct Interpretation ................................................. 113 7.0 FINDINGS .......................................................................................................... 114 7.1 KEY CONTEXTUAL FACTORS ............................................................................... 114 7.1.1 Traditional Relational practices ................................................................. 114 7.1.2 Legal Issues ................................................................................................. 115 7.1.3 Economic Constraints ................................................................................. 116 7.1.4 Localized Dependencies .............................................................................. 116 7.1.5 Unique and Complex Designs ..................................................................... 117 7.1.6 3D CAD use in Architecture ....................................................................... 117 7.1.7 3D CAD use by Gehry................................................................................. 117 7.1.8 Summary of Key Contextual Factors .......................................................... 118 7.2 3D CAD AFFORDANCES ...................................................................................... 118 7.2.1 3D Visualizing ............................................................................................. 119 7.2.2 Modeling ..................................................................................................... 119 7.2.3 Predicting .................................................................................................... 120 7.2.4 Collision detection ...................................................................................... 121 7.2.5 Increased accuracy ..................................................................................... 121 7.2.6 Dimensional control.................................................................................... 121 7.2.7 Isomorphic model........................................................................................ 122 7.3 3D CAD FEATURES ............................................................................................. 122 7.3.1 XYZ coordinate system ................................................................................ 122 7.3.2 Bezier and B-spline calculations ................................................................ 123 7.3.3 3D object properties ................................................................................... 123 7.3.4 Parametric .................................................................................................. 123 7.3.5 Interoperability ........................................................................................... 124 7.4 SUMMARY: RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FEATURES AND AFFORDANCES ................ 124 7.5 WORK PRACTICE CHANGES ................................................................................. 126 7.5.1 General Relational and Specific Coordinating Practice Changes ............. 126 7.5.1.1 Increase in Collaboration ....................................................................... 129 7.5.1.2 Frequency of Communication...............................................................