A literature synthesis of innovation in small construction firms: insights, ambiguities and questions

Martin Sexton and Peter Barrett

Construction Management and Economics, 2003, vol. 21, issue 6, 613-622

Abstract: Construction firms are being challenged to be more adept at successful innovation to better meet client needs and to enhance business competitiveness. The substantial contribution that small construction firms make to the output of the industry signifies the importance for this body of firms to improve their innovation performance if the performance of the industry as a whole is to move forward. The literature on innovation in small construction firms is synthesized and structured around a generic model to provide a holistic picture of our current knowledge. Significant gaps in the understanding and practice of innovation in small construction literature are identified, which severely hamper understanding of the myriad complex and systemically interactive issues embodied within the theory and practice of innovation. The gaps identified by this literature synthesis are the basis for a number of important questions that, the authors propose, form an integrating agenda for future research.

Keywords: Construction; innovation; small firms; research agenda (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0144619032000134147 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:conmgt:v:21:y:2003:i:6:p:613-622

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/RCME20

DOI: 10.1080/0144619032000134147

Access Statistics for this article

Construction Management and Economics is currently edited by Will Hughes

More articles in Construction Management and Economics from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().