Zhong, Y; Chen, Z; Ye, J and Zhang, N (2025) Exploring critical success factors for digital transformation in construction industry-based on TOE framework. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 32(6), pp. 4227-4249. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: This study aims to investigate the critical success factors of digital transformation in the construction industry and identify whether the respondents' profiles influence their perceptions of critical success factors for digital transformation. Design/methodology/approach: To achieve the objectives, a literature review was first conducted based on technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework. Then a questionnaire survey was carried out. A total of 86 people were surveyed in this study, mainly from the construction industry. At the level of data processing, SPSS was used for analysis. Among the main tests used were the Shapiro–Wilk test, reliability analysis, mean rank analysis, Kruskal–Wallis test and Mann–Whitney U test. Findings: The study identified 15 critical success factors of digital transformation and found the three most important factors of digital transformation. Furthermore, respondents with different years of experience, enterprises with different sizes and different years made no difference in the perception of factors. Respondents' different occupations and types of enterprises created a bias in the perception of factors for digital transformation. Research limitations/implications: Firstly, the small sample size of the questionnaire limits the reference value of data analysis for certain groups. In addition, this study focuses broadly on construction enterprises without specifically examining different types of enterprises, thus lacking depth in its findings. Practical implications: This study establishes a connection between TOE theory and the construction industry through an extensive literature review, identifying relevant factors and providing a reference for future research. Originality/value: The study's results would enrich the research on digital transformation in the construction industry and provide a reference for the digital transformation of construction enterprises.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction industry; critical success factors; digital transformation; intergroup analysis; TOE framework |
| Index terms: | survey, occupation, literature review, data analysis, critical success factor, data processing, questionnaire, methodology, bias, transformation, sample size, reliability analysis, construction industry |
| Subjects: | data science, data analysis and analytics, business, research design and methodology, data collection methods, control systems, sociology, industry analysis, probability and distributions, reliability engineering, research methods |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Project Management, Engineering Principles |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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