Xue, H; Zhang, S; Wu, Z and Zhang, L (2025) How to improve the smart construction technology usage behavior of construction enterprise employees? TOE framework based on configuration study. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 32(2), pp. 785-804. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: Despite smart construction technology's great potential to improve the productivity of the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, the implementation of smart construction technology has failed to achieve the expected benefits due to the negative usage behaviors of construction enterprise employees. This study aims to identify the determinants and their configuration effects on the smart construction technology usage behavior (SCTUB) based on the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework. This study then verifies the practical paths to improve the employee's SCTUB from the configuration perspective. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-method approach involving survey and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is conducted in this study. Based on the detailed literature review and semi-structured interview, this study identifies the factors and proposes the TOE framework to determine the configuration conditions affecting employee's SCTUB and verify practical paths to promote this user behavior. Findings: The TOE framework's technical, organizational and environmental elements are interdependent. The emergence of a high SCTUB is not determined by a single determinant but by configuration conditions. Four equifinal conditions (e.g. organization-technology type, technology-organization type, environment type and organization-technology balanced type) are verified to promote construction enterprise employee's SCTUB. Practical implications: The four verified configuration conditions could guide construction enterprises to formulate complementary strategies for promoting the construction enterprises' employees to implement smart construction technology and achieve the enterprise's digital transformation. Originality/value: The inter-dependence of the three-dimension factors, namely technical, organizational and environmental elements are explored to enrich the literature on the TOE framework. Meanwhile, the configuration effects of these factors on usage behavior are identified, expanding the literature on the information technology acceptance model.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | smart construction technology; technology-organization-environment framework; usage behavior; questionnaire survey |
| Index terms: | literature review, qualitative comparative analysis, strategy, survey, interview, information technology, emergence, methodology, questionnaire, configuration, productivity, transformation, implementation, determinant, dimension, construction technology |
| Subjects: | management, systems engineering, data collection methods, risk assessment, business, computing systems, data analysis and analytics, health monitoring assessment and metrics, research methods, digital engineering, contractual arrangements |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Business Strategy, Digital Applications, Engineering Principles, Health and Safety, Procurement, Risk Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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