Traversing the complexity of digital construction and beyond through soft skills: experiences of Malaysian architects
Purpose: The evolution of digital construction within Industrial Revolution 5.0 emphasises the harmonious integration of humans and technology, value-driven technology implementation, adaptive leadership and user-centric design solutions. This shift necessitates architects to enhance their soft skil...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
Emerald Publishing
2024
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114956/ |
| _version_ | 1848866645031780352 |
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| author | Shahruddin, Syafizal Sonet, Ungku Norani Azmi, Athira Zainordin, Nadzirah |
| author_facet | Shahruddin, Syafizal Sonet, Ungku Norani Azmi, Athira Zainordin, Nadzirah |
| author_sort | Shahruddin, Syafizal |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Purpose: The evolution of digital construction within Industrial Revolution 5.0 emphasises the harmonious integration of humans and technology, value-driven technology implementation, adaptive leadership and user-centric design solutions. This shift necessitates architects to enhance their soft skills to navigate the transition effectively. Failure to demonstrate these skills may confine architects to passive roles as technology consumers rather than innovative leaders. While existing research predominantly focuses on the technical aspects of digital construction, this study investigates how architects effectively manifest their soft skills within such dynamic contexts, addressing a critical gap in the current literature. Design/methodology/approach: Employing an interpretive phenomenological approach, the research engaged 14 individual architects practicing in architectural consultancy practices (ACPs) in Malaysia through semi-structured interviews and written exercises to unveil their experiences. Findings: Thematic analysis revealed six primary themes: “analytical and critical thinking,” “digital communication,” “diversity in leadership styles,” “emotional intelligence,” “ethics and professionalism,” and “curiosity and agility.” Practical implications: Furthermore, the developed thematic map serves as a foundational resource for human resource practices aiming to design upskilling and reskilling programs that focus on nurturing soft skills. Emphasising soft skills, these programs are designed to thrive in the digital construction era and beyond. Originality/value: These shared experiences significantly contribute to the theoretical understanding of soft skills within the digital construction context, providing novel insights into their practical application when addressing real-world implications. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:23:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-114956 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:23:53Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Emerald Publishing |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1149562025-02-13T02:17:54Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114956/ Traversing the complexity of digital construction and beyond through soft skills: experiences of Malaysian architects Shahruddin, Syafizal Sonet, Ungku Norani Azmi, Athira Zainordin, Nadzirah Purpose: The evolution of digital construction within Industrial Revolution 5.0 emphasises the harmonious integration of humans and technology, value-driven technology implementation, adaptive leadership and user-centric design solutions. This shift necessitates architects to enhance their soft skills to navigate the transition effectively. Failure to demonstrate these skills may confine architects to passive roles as technology consumers rather than innovative leaders. While existing research predominantly focuses on the technical aspects of digital construction, this study investigates how architects effectively manifest their soft skills within such dynamic contexts, addressing a critical gap in the current literature. Design/methodology/approach: Employing an interpretive phenomenological approach, the research engaged 14 individual architects practicing in architectural consultancy practices (ACPs) in Malaysia through semi-structured interviews and written exercises to unveil their experiences. Findings: Thematic analysis revealed six primary themes: “analytical and critical thinking,” “digital communication,” “diversity in leadership styles,” “emotional intelligence,” “ethics and professionalism,” and “curiosity and agility.” Practical implications: Furthermore, the developed thematic map serves as a foundational resource for human resource practices aiming to design upskilling and reskilling programs that focus on nurturing soft skills. Emphasising soft skills, these programs are designed to thrive in the digital construction era and beyond. Originality/value: These shared experiences significantly contribute to the theoretical understanding of soft skills within the digital construction context, providing novel insights into their practical application when addressing real-world implications. Emerald Publishing 2024-09-16 Article PeerReviewed Shahruddin, Syafizal and Sonet, Ungku Norani and Azmi, Athira and Zainordin, Nadzirah (2024) Traversing the complexity of digital construction and beyond through soft skills: experiences of Malaysian architects. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management. ISSN 0969-9988; eISSN: 0969-9988 https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/ecam-01-2024-0147/full/html 10.1108/ECAM-01-2024-0147 |
| spellingShingle | Shahruddin, Syafizal Sonet, Ungku Norani Azmi, Athira Zainordin, Nadzirah Traversing the complexity of digital construction and beyond through soft skills: experiences of Malaysian architects |
| title | Traversing the complexity of digital construction and beyond through soft skills: experiences of Malaysian architects |
| title_full | Traversing the complexity of digital construction and beyond through soft skills: experiences of Malaysian architects |
| title_fullStr | Traversing the complexity of digital construction and beyond through soft skills: experiences of Malaysian architects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Traversing the complexity of digital construction and beyond through soft skills: experiences of Malaysian architects |
| title_short | Traversing the complexity of digital construction and beyond through soft skills: experiences of Malaysian architects |
| title_sort | traversing the complexity of digital construction and beyond through soft skills: experiences of malaysian architects |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114956/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114956/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114956/ |