Multi-stakeholder synergistic benefit allocation in intelligent construction project: evidence from Jiangsu in China

Purpose Under the demand for intelligent transformation and upgrading, intelligent construction projects have been widely implemented worldwide. The stakeholders in intelligent construction are more diverse, with their more complex interactions, compared with traditional counterparts. Reasonable benefit allocation becomes the focus of cooperation disputes. However, existing research did not well explain the issue of benefit allocation among multiple stakeholders with empirical validation. This study aims to quantitatively explore the synergistic benefit allocation among multiple stakeholders in intelligent construction contexts. Design/methodology/approach This study develops an innovative methodology: it combines the social network analysis method with the network game model to reveal the mechanisms of benefits allocation under complex interactions among multiple stakeholders, with sound explanation in reality; when constructing the cooperation network of stakeholders, it is based on the contractual relationships formed by both the contract amount and the contract importance between them, considering that the contract can well reflect the allocation of benefits. Findings The priority of major stakeholders in benefit allocation is ranked as follows: developer, general contractor, subcontractor, material and equipment supplier, prefabricated components suppliers, intelligent technology service provider, surveyor and designer, supervisor and cost consultant. Developers dominate the allocation of benefits in intelligent construction projects, while cost consultants are generally allocated to the lowest collaborative benefits. In particular, parameter β, adjusting the gap in benefit allocation among stakeholders, does not influence the final priority ranking. Originality/value This study appropriately applies the social network analysis method and network game model to solve the benefit allocation problem and flexibly uses policy subsidy benefits for empirical validation, which is a breakthrough to prior research in this domain. The conclusions contribute to improving the overall effect of intelligent construction projects to further accelerate their promotion.