ICT Implementation of Small- and Medium-Sized Construction Enterprises: Organizational Characteristics, Driving Forces, and Value Perceptions

Hao Lu, Pardis Pishdad-Bozorgi, Guangbin Wang, Yingxia Xue and Dan Tan
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Hao Lu: Department of Construction Management and Real Estate, School of Economics and Management, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Pardis Pishdad-Bozorgi: School of Building Construction, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0680, USA
Guangbin Wang: Department of Construction Management and Real Estate, School of Economics and Management, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Yingxia Xue: Department of Construction Management and Real Estate, School of Economics and Management, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Dan Tan: Department of Construction Management and Real Estate, School of Economics and Management, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 12, 1-20

Abstract: This study discusses the organizational characteristics, driving factors, and value perceptions of small- and medium-sized construction enterprises in information and communication technology (ICT) implementation and investigates how the heterogeneous impacts of these features on subsequent ICT implementation practices are manifested. Based on questionnaire responses provided by 338 respondents from the Chinese construction industry, these associations were empirically tested using statistical methods, such as t -test, ANOVA, and correlation test. The analysis results indicate that the engagement of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in ICT is a function of their annual sales turnover and the location in which they are operating, but no correlation was found with age, ownership structure, or business type. Moreover, strategic orientation was found to be the most effective driver in determining SMEs’ ICT-level, followed by pressures from competitors, incentive and mandatory policies from the government, intentions to improve work efficiency and quality, and ICT requirements from clients and partners, in that order. The findings further reveal that the differences in value perceptions generated after the adoption of ICT is the reason why SMEs tend to adopt less expensive ICT, that is, to use packaged rather than customized ICT, which can improve efficiency quickly, without considering the long-term benefits of the selected ICT. These findings provide insights for researchers and policymakers, allowing them to develop an in-depth understanding of the stimuli that are advantageous in ICT implementation in construction SMEs in developing countries.

Keywords: construction industry; small and medium-sized enterprise (SME); information and communication technology (ICT); organizational characteristic; driving force; value perception (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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