Human-Data Interaction as a critical enabler of Electronic Performance Monitoring at construction sites

Human-Data Interaction (HDI) revolves around how humans generate, process, and utilise data. HDI plays a crucial role in evaluating data collection and use in the context of the construction industry, considering the impact on stakeholders such as site managers and labourers. One significant application of HDI is in on-site Electronic Performance Monitoring (EPM), which aims to leverage workplace innovations to enhance productivity, safety, and health. However, the integration and implications of HDI and EPM lack comprehensive understanding. This research seeks to bridge this knowledge gap by presenting a human-data perspective on sensored construction sites, emphasising the challenges and opportunities for driving innovative EPM initiatives. Through a combination of literature review, surveys with HDI experts, and the authors' perspectives and abduction, conceptual frameworks are developed that cluster HDI and EPM. The study's implications are multifaceted, impacting both theoretical understanding and practical applications. The findings highlight the key actors and the data they generate and manipulate across different platforms during EPM deployment. Through the lens of explanatory theories, sociomateriality, and work sociology, the research contributes to understanding the fragmented nature of HDI and EPM as a managerial issue embedded in the work environment. It sheds light on the interactions of actors using digital EPM devices and relevant data streams influenced by the limited agency of specific stakeholders, such as labourers, and the potential neglect of factors related to their well-being. This research distinguishes itself by focusing on the less explored intersection of HDI and EPM in the construction industry. It offers a novel perspective by considering the sensored environment of construction sites as a venue for analysing human-data interactions.