Arditi, D; Kale, S and Tangkar, M (1997) Innovation in construction equipment and its flow into the construction industry. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 123(4), pp. 371-378. ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
The rate of innovation in construction equipment is measured by using two variables over a 30-year period, 1962-92: The number of new models introduced every year and the technological life of eight earthmoving equipments are considered in this study. The findings indicate that the rate of innovation in the construction equipment industry increased in the 30-year study period. The findings also suggest that these innovations are incremental in nature, stimulated by technological advances in other industries, but primarily driven by market forces. Technological advances are not confined to the industry that produces innovations. The mapping of the interindustry flow of innovations highlights that while construction companies play a predominant role in generating their own technological innovations, they are also heavily dependent on other industries, such as the construction equipment industry for the flow of technical system innovations. As such, the continuous and incremental innovations in the construction equipment industry are bound to act as a catalyst for the generation of technological advances in the construction industry.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Index terms: | mapping, construction company, earthmoving, construction industry, technological innovation, construction equipment |
| Subjects: | construction operations, innovation and technology management, organization, industry analysis, construction equipment, spatial and geospatial analysis |
| Topics: | Site Management, Plant and Equipment, Business Strategy, Engineering Principles, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here