Oke, A E; Aliu, J; Oni, S B and Ilesanmi, O O (2025) The complexities of embracing mechatronics in the Nigerian construction industry. Construction Innovation, 25(4), pp. 1188-1209. ISSN 1471-4175
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the obstacles to mechatronics adoption in the construction industry from a Nigerian perspective. It aims to fill the knowledge gap by focusing on the specific challenges faced in developing countries, considering the unique contexts and constraints of the Nigerian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a comprehensive literature review to identify 26 obstacles to mechatronics adoption. These obstacles were used to develop a well-structured questionnaire, which was then distributed to construction professionals using Google Forms through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The rankings obtained from the questionnaire responses were analyzed to determine the most significant obstacles. Findings: The study revealed the top five most significant obstacles to mechatronics adoption in the Nigerian construction industry. These obstacles include high costs of operation and maintenance, resistance to adopting new technologies, a lack of standardized protocols, insufficient maintenance capabilities and a lack of government support. Factor analysis revealed five clusters of obstacles: technological-related factors, economic-related factors, capability-related factors, government-related factors and awareness-related factors. Practical implications: Findings from this study have the potential to inform decision-making, drive policy changes and guide future research efforts aimed at promoting the widespread adoption of mechatronics technologies, ultimately leading to the transformation and improvement of the construction industry as a whole. Originality/value: This study contributes to the field of mechatronics adoption in the construction industry by addressing the gap in research specific to developing countries such as Nigeria. By identifying and analyzing the obstacles from a Nigerian perspective, the study offers unique insights and original findings.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | automation; construction efficiency; electronic systems; mechanical engineering; mechatronic technologies |
| Index terms: | Nigeria, transformation, government support, efficiency, new technology, automation, mechanical engineering, construction industry, construction professional, sampling, factor analysis, literature review, developing country, operation and maintenance, complexity, methodology, decision-making, questionnaire |
| Subjects: | industry analysis, systems engineering, statistical analysis, decision analysis, professional development, performance management, data analysis and analytics, data collection methods, government bodies, business, mechanical systems, automation and robotics, Geography, development economics, research methods, maintenance engineering, innovation and technology management |
| Topics: | Quality Management, Geographical Context, Engineering Principles, Risk Management, Digital Applications, International Construction, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Information Management, Governance |
| 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