Purpose This study aims to investigate projects as social exchange networks, focussing on identifying knowledge brokers within the project network where they are key holders and disseminators of end-user needs. The purpose is to augment current theory through a practice lens so that building end-user requirements can be better incorporated in evolving project ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach An interpretive, an inductive case study is used to map knowledge brokers during a complex construction and co-location project. During the wider study, a variety of methods including archival data, interviews and questionnaires along with social network analysis (SNA) were used. The mixed methodology used has been pivotal in the triangulation of data from various sources. However, the output of SNA presented in this paper relies mostly on interviews and questionnaires administered to the project’s core network. Network relationships were mapped with knowledge of user requirements, being the key determinant of the binary relationships between actors. Findings The research found certain roles to be central knowledge brokers of knowledge related to end-user processes, including real estate and strategic planning, building operations and management, human and environmental factors, planning and project management and facility and service delivery. The knowledge of the above roles, albeit in a contextually situated case study, augments current understanding of which roles to tap on during project execution for better representation of end-user needs. Practical implications The research site is representative of a complex network of construction project stakeholders, including several categories of end-users and their representatives. The study demonstrates the use of the project-as-practice approach, whereby project theory is seen to emerge directly from practice. This has impact on practice as emergent theory about knowledge transfer and knowledge brokerage is essentially practice-led and hence more useful and relate-able to practitioners. Originality/value Research presented here is novel in terms of its approach towards understanding end-user needs such as need for privacy, control, attachment and interaction during construction projects. This is done through the identification of relevant knowledge brokers. The study uses SNA as an analytical tool to map knowledge transfers through the project’s network. End-user requirements are usually captured in the front-end of projects as specifications and deliverables, as new challenges emerge during execution, changes are required to the project’s direction and outcomes. It is therefore imperative that end-user needs are re-identified through knowledge brokers holding key knowledge. This allows project managers to prepare appropriate responses to changing project ecosystems.

中文翻译：

---

利用构建最终用户的知识：确定重要的知识经纪人

目的这项研究旨在调查作为社会交流网络的项目，着重于确定项目网络中的知识经纪人，这些知识经纪人是最终用户需求的关键持有者和传播者。目的是通过实践的眼光来扩展当前的理论，以便将最终用户的需求更好地纳入不断发展的项目生态系统中。设计/方法/方法解释性，归纳性案例研究用于在复杂的建筑和代管项目中绘制知识经纪人的地图。在更广泛的研究中，使用了各种方法，包括档案数据，访谈和问卷调查以及社交网络分析（SNA）。所使用的混合方法对于来自各种来源的数据的三角测量至关重要。然而，本文介绍的SNA的输出主要取决于对项目核心网络进行的访谈和问卷调查。网络关系是根据用户需求的知识进行映射的，这是参与者之间二进制关系的关键决定因素。调查结果研究发现，某些角色是与最终用户流程相关的知识的中央知识中介，包括房地产和战略规划，建筑物运营和管理，人与环境因素，规划和项目管理以及设施和服务交付。尽管在上下文相关的案例研究中，对上述角色的了解使您对在项目执行过程中应选择哪些角色以更好地表示最终用户需求的当前理解有所增强。实际意义该研究站点代表了建设项目利益相关者的复杂网络，其中包括几类最终用户及其代表。该研究证明了按项目实践方法的使用，据此项目理论被认为直接来自实践。这对实践产生了影响，因为有关知识转移和知识中介的新兴理论本质上是由实践主导的，因此对从业者更有用和相关。就了解最终用户需求（例如在建设项目期间对隐私，控制，附件和交互的需求）的理解方式而言，此处介绍的创意/价值研究是新颖的。这是通过识别相关知识经纪人来完成的。该研究使用SNA作为分析工具，以映射通过项目网络进行的知识转移。最终用户需求通常以规范和可交付成果的形式记录在项目的前端，因为在执行过程中出现了新的挑战，因此需要对项目的方向和结果进行更改。因此，必须通过拥有关键知识的知识经纪人来重新确定最终用户的需求。这使项目经理可以对不断变化的项目生态系统做出适当的响应。因此，必须通过拥有关键知识的知识经纪人来重新确定最终用户的需求。这使项目经理可以对不断变化的项目生态系统做出适当的响应。因此，必须通过拥有关键知识的知识经纪人来重新确定最终用户的需求。这使项目经理可以对不断变化的项目生态系统做出适当的响应。