McNicholas, T M (1994) Potential barriers to the adoption of new technology in the United States construction industry. DBA thesis, Golden Gate University, USA.
Abstract
The United States is a leader in scientific research and invention. However, there is much evidence that the Country's performance in applying and commercializing these breakthroughs appears to be lagging. This technology lag is endemic throughout the U. S. construction industry--an industry that is facing increasingly aggressive foreign competition. One of the factors inhibiting the commercial application of new scientific discoveries is the American industrial structure, the product of a short term financial emphasis, which discourages risk taking and investment in new technology. This essay examines the ways in which organizational and associated operational factors affect the application of scientific research in the U. S. construction industry. Concurrently, this study identifies factors that inhibit the use of new technology as perceived by managers of companies, government officials and academicians associated with the U. S. construction industry. Research for this paper was conducted through a comprehensive literature search to ascertain the status of previous research in the diffusion of new technology in the construction industry. In addition, data were collected from executives of major construction and owner companies, and leading academic and government personnel currently concerned with funding and coordination of research pertinent to the U. S. construction industry. The analysis of these previously unpublished data, from a key body of constituents, represents a significant departure from prior approaches taken to understand this phenomenon.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Bord, N |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | United States; competition; coordination; funding; government; investment; owner; personnel |
| Index terms: | executive, funding, coordination, construction industry, new technology, industrial structure, owner, evidence, competition, personnel, risk taking, United States, manager |
| Subjects: | market analysis, Geography, decision-making and reasoning, structural engineering, economic analysis, innovation and technology management, practitioner, evaluation and assessment methods, industry analysis, sociology, management |
| Topics: | Geographical Context, Engineering Principles, Organizational Design, Human Resources, Roles and Professions, Stakeholder Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy |
| 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