When Nothing is Said, Everything Happens

Abstract

Interdisciplinary project teams in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector are increasingly faced with complex challenges that demand intensive collaboration across diverse professional domains. Three persistent communication barriers often hinder these collaborations: language and terminology differences, difficulty coordinating fragmented organisations, and fragile trust relationships. In addition, silence - both as non-verbal communication and as an organisational phenomenon - emerges as a subtle but powerful factor shaping team dynamics.
This thesis explores how empathy can address these communication complexities. Through a combination of a semi-systematic literature review, thirteen semi-structured interviews and direct observations from the Cruciale Mijl infrastructure project in Amsterdam, the study investigates the influence of empathic interactions on collaboration in interdisciplinary teams. The data were analysed thematically and supported by emotional observations, using established frameworks on psychological safety, organisational silence and empathy.
The findings suggest that empathy acts as a bridge: it allows professionals to navigate disciplinary differences, interpret silences more constructively, and foster an environment of psychological safety. Empathy was not merely an individual trait, but a collective competency cultivated through sharing perspectives, informal interactions and sustained emotional investment. The metaphor of an 'emotional bank account' illustrates how these investments foster resilience, enabling teams to cope more effectively with conflict and uncertainty.
At the same time, however, the study exposes persistent challenges. Many participants expressed scepticism about the practical value of empathy, or assumed that it was the responsibility of specific roles rather than a shared skill. This outsourcing of emotional labour undermines its collective potential. While empathy cannot resolve structural or political complexities, it demonstrably reduces communication friction, prevents destructive silences and improves the quality of collaboration.
The research contributes to project management theory by demonstrating the practical role of empathy in interdisciplinary teamwork. It recommends embedding empathy in team formation processes, recognising shared responsibility for emotional labour and facilitating reflective spaces where silence can be used constructively.