Van Tam, N (2025) Mitigating digital transformation risks for circular construction in emerging economies: An empirical investigation in Vietnam. International Journal of Construction Management, 25(10), pp. 1130-1140. ISSN 1562-3599
Abstract
Although emerging economies are increasingly adopting digital solutions, integrating these technologies with circular construction practices remains relatively unexplored, which could impede the sector's transformation. This study addresses this gap by investigating the complex risk landscape, identifying 23 critical concerns through a quantitative approach. Utilizing data collected from 248 construction professionals in Vietnam, this study scrutinized and assessed these risks using reliability testing, Kruskal-Wallis test, exploratory factor analysis, relative importance index, and risk mapping techniques. The results revealed the differences in how clients, contractors, and consultants perceived digital transformation risks for circular construction. In addition, the findings indicated the most significant risks, including negative returns on investments, income loss, competition, legal uncertainties, cyberattacks, and high digitization costs. Furthermore, a comparative analysis showed that countries with similar socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds may exhibit markedly different risk profiles. Theoretically, this work bridges circularity and digitalization, offering theoretical insights into risk dynamics in emerging economies. Moreover, the practical implications are substantial, providing valuable strategies for decision-makers and stakeholders in Vietnam and beyond, paving the way for a more resilient and sustainable future for the construction industry.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | circular construction; digital transformation; emerging economy; mitigating risk; Vietnam |
| Index terms: | construction industry, testing, construction professional, dynamics, income, investigation, circularity, emerging economy, transformation, mapping, competition, relative importance index, strategy, comparative analysis, Vietnam, exploratory factor analysis, paving, digitalization |
| Subjects: | risk assessment, data collection methods, business, data analysis and analytics, management, professional development, industry analysis, systems engineering, statistical analysis, sustainable materials, digital technology, professional practice, economic analysis, economic development, spatial and geospatial analysis, Geography, market analysis, transportation engineering |
| Topics: | Geographical Context, Engineering Principles, Risk Management, Sustainability, Digital Applications, International Construction, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Information Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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