https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0301
The role of lean leadership in enabling data sharing across industry-academia boundaries
Amira Saleh1, Etienne Vezina2 & Vicente A. González3
1PhD Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-3835-39312Engineering Director, AECON, Edmonton, Canada, [email protected], orcid.org/0009-0002-8130-4948
3Hal Kvisle Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Digital Lean Construction, Infrastructure Human Tech (IHT) Lab, Strategic Projects Insight Centre in Engineering (SPICE), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Canada, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0003-3408-3863
Abstract
Access to reliable project data is essential for addressing complex, data-dependent research problems and supporting learning and improvement in Lean project environments. However, industry-academia collaborations that depend on such data often face privacy, security, and approval constraints that restrict information sharing. This paper presents a qualitative descriptive case study of an industry-academia collaboration aimed at enabling access to project documentation for research purposes. The study examines how data access negotiations unfolded over approximately ten months between an academic research team and an industrial projects contractor. Initial attempts to obtain data were hindered by confidentiality requirements, fragmented approval pathways, and organizational silos. Over time, structured communication, staged data-sharing practices, and the involvement of an internal company champion supported coordination and allowed for the progressive expansion of data access. Findings describe how privacy constraints shaped collaborative relationships and formal data-sharing processes, and how trust developed through repeated interaction and demonstrated reliability. Interpreted through a Lean perspective, the study shows how data access can be understood as an information flow process and how internal champions enable coordination and learning. The paper offers empirical insight and practical guidance for data-dependent industry-academia collaboration.
Keywords
Lean construction, industry-academia collaboration, information flow, lean leadership, trust.
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Reference in APA 7th edition format:
Saleh, A., Vezina, E. & González, V. A.. (2026). The role of lean leadership in enabling data sharing across industry-academia boundaries. In Hamzeh, F., Poshdar, M., & Garcia-Lopez,, N. P. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) (pp. 1300–1311). https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0301
Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:
Saleh, A., Vezina, E. & González, V. A.. (2026). The role of lean leadership in enabling data sharing across industry-academia boundaries. IGLC34. https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0301
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