Communication and trust: rethinking the way construction industry professionals and software vendors utilise computer communication mediums

Abstract Contemporary communication mediums in isolation have reached a technological plateau, proximal communication is no longer limited by spatial or technological constraints. However, integration of communication mediums and their application in pedagogy do not appear to receive the attention they deserve outwith marketing and social psychology research. This is to the determinant of AEC industries where the forefront of proximal communication extends to video conferencing and high latency sharing of open standard models. Underutilisation is not just a missed opportunity; it is the source of many cascading conflicts, trust issues and delivery failures in in AEC projects. Although effective communication will not resolve all problems, those associated with its absence are unnecessarily endemic. Through discussion of the antecedents of trust and the social presence principles that underpin effective communication, this paper proposes the next disruptive innovation in industry should be a paradigm shift in its approach to communication.