Pittri, H; Agyekum, K; Kukah, A S; Asamoah, E; Gasue, R and Botchway, B (2026) Adoption strategies for health and safety technologies in the construction industry. Construction Economics and Building, 26(1), ISSN 2204-9029
Abstract
Despite growing global interest in digital innovations for health and safety (H&S) management, the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI) continues to lag in the adoption of such technologies due to persistent barriers and the absence of strategic implementation frameworks. Existing studies have largely focused on individual technologies or general adoption challenges without offering holistic, context-specific strategies tailored to developing countries. This study aimed to identify and evaluate the key barriers and strategies influencing the adoption of H&S technologies in the GCI and to develop a contextualised framework to support their effective implementation. A sequential mixed-methods approach was adopted. First, a scoping review identified relevant barriers and global strategies. A quantitative survey of 123 construction professionals then assessed the significance of selected strategies, followed by three rounds of focus group discussions (FGDs) to validate, categorise, and map strategies to barrier themes. The study identified 16 strategies, with "client involvement", "awareness creation", and "technical know-how" ranked highest. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests confirmed the statistical significance of all strategies, while the Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests revealed significant variations in perceptions across professional roles for selected strategies prior to the FGDs. The study offers practical insights for stakeholders in the GCI by linking strategic interventions directly to context-specific challenges, thus supporting the targeted deployment of digital H&S technologies. Theoretically, the study contributes a robust framework grounded in the technology–organisation– environment and diffusion of innovation theories, enhancing the understanding of technology adoption dynamics in developing countries.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | barriers; construction; Ghana; health and safety; strategies; technology |
| Index terms: | implementation, construction industry, diffusion of innovation, technology adoption, construction professional, dynamics, Ghana, variation, client involvement, strategy, survey, developing country, health and safety, focus group |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, professional development, contractual condition, management, systems engineering, industry analysis, client relations, contractual arrangements, innovation and technology management, development economics, health safety and environment, Geography |
| Topics: | Procurement, Geographical Context, Engineering Principles, Health and Safety, Contract Administration, International Construction, Stakeholder Management, Research Practice, Information Management, Business Strategy |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
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