Brewer, G (2008) Innovation and attitude: mapping the profile of ICT decision-makers in architectural, engineering and construction firms. PhD thesis, University of Newcastle, Australia.
Abstract
Information and communication technology (ICT) advances relating to the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) sector have been rapid, offering efficiency gains and improved business effectiveness. However economic considerations, industry-specific conditions, legal, and business issues have limited their adoption by multi-firm project teams. ICT adoption rates are the manifestation of boundedly rational business decisions, formed by personal attitudes to innovation. Although attitudes are personal constructs they are phenomena that are experienced, can be personally reported, and observed from a distance. This research maps attitudinal influences wherein the attitudinal profiles of decision-makers can be located. Adopting etic and emic perspectives it reveals independent indication of the extent and features of the phenomenon, and the personal construction of meaning and rules for decision-making. These perspectives are obtained using an asynchronous, online Delphi study of 13 international experts, combined with investigation of the phenomenological experiences of 39 experienced practitioners through in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis, supported by appropriate correlation analysis reveals patterns and structure in each study, which are modeled. These are then synthesised into a unified, multi-dimensional model. This model reveals that individual attitude is composed of a number of components: exogenous issues include human, technological and business processes; an endogenous component relating to personal considerations; technological push, cultural pull, and a temporal dimension. It posits intra-firm and inter-organisational dimensions, observing variance along a continuum related to the context within which they are being considered. The significance of this research is twofold: it maps the domain within which ICT decision-makers in the AEC sector make their decisions; it provides a reliable basis upon which to base further investigations.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction firms; architectural engineering; communication; decision making; information and communication technology; innovation; thematic analysis; project team; interview |
| Index terms: | dimension, project team, architectural engineering, effectiveness, investigation, correlation analysis, variance, Delphi method, efficiency, decision-making, mapping, thematic analysis, practitioner, meaning, construction firm, interview, information and communication technology, maps |
| Subjects: | project delivery, health monitoring assessment and metrics, computing systems, practitioner, organization, data collection methods, statistical analysis, measurement and scaling, sociology, decision analysis, methods and analysis, spatial and geospatial analysis, performance management, design practice |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Design Practice, Digital Applications, Risk Management, Project Management, Health and Safety, Quality Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
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