Sturts Dossick, CarrieHochstatter, Kirk2025-10-022025-10-022025-10-022025Hochstatter_washington_0250E_28896.pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/1773/53862Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2025The emergence of collaborative project delivery (CPD) methods in the architect, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry has brought a focus on how teams can better work together to achieve common goals. Whether it be through multi-party agreements, lean construction tools, or empowerment of decision-making, these projects have leveraged supporting the collaborative behaviors of their stakeholders to lead to better outcomes. A critical part of creating a culture of collaboration on these projects is the role of leadership that is played out by multiple individuals that can also be described as shared leadership (SL). If these projects are intended to create a culture of SL on their projects, what mechanisms should be used to meet these objectives? This research seeks out to address what mechanisms are impacting the formation of SL on CPD projects by examining the informal governance (IG) of the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, structural engineering, and architectural (MEPFSA) coordination team. Through a case study approach of a project's MEPFSA coordination team, I developed five focused case analyses where I could examine their unique CPD IG and assess the emergence of SL. The IG examination was accomplished through qualitative methods that consisted of interviews with individual MEPFSA coordination team members and field observations to witness their practices in real time. To identify the emergence of SL, a quantitative survey, the Shared Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ), I was distributed to the MEPFSA coordination team. Based on the findings from these case studies, this research was able to suggest that there is evidence that the IG of the MEPFSA coordination teams impacted the formation of SL and dives into how the IG elements of team organization, decision making, team building, communication systems and workspaces played a role. Specific insights into the impacts of IG on SL formation included the role of a facilitator that can lead the technical aspects of MEPFSA BIM coordination as well as guide the team through the selected project delivery approach, how CPD governance can influence the formation of SL, and how SL uniquely appears in AEC building construction teams.application/pdfen-USnonecollaborationconstruction managementgovernanceproject deliveryshared leadershipvirtual teamsArchitectureConstruction managementThesis