Bigdellou, S and Chen, Q (2026) Quantification of economic influences on technology adoption and diffusion in the construction industry. International Journal of Construction Management, 26(4), pp. 621-638. ISSN 1562-3599
Abstract
The construction industry has been slow to adopt technologies like design automation and robotic fabrication due to high initial costs and long project cycles. However, demand for efficiency, sustainability and safety has spurred technological transformation. This study explores how technology spreads in construction by examining mimetic behaviour among enterprises of varying income levels using an agent-based modelling (ABM) approach. The model uses empirical data from literature to simulate interactions and economic impacts on adoption across high-, medium- and low-income enterprises. Findings show that high-income firms adopt technologies during economic growth to strengthen market position, while low-income firms invest during downturns to cut costs and enhance competitiveness. Medium-income firms adopt cautiously but steadily in stable growth scenarios. These results highlight economic conditions and income differences in shaping adoption strategies, offering insights for policymakers promoting technology diffusion in construction. As a premise work to explore quantifiable economic impact of technology adoption, this study has reviewed key economic drivers and barriers that may influence technology diffusion across different enterprise categories. Coupled this with the ABM findings, this study offers construction managers practical insights to align technology investments with economic trends, enabling them to reduce risks and enhance competitiveness under varying market conditions.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | agent-based model; economic influence; technology adoption in construction |
| Index terms: | interaction, construction industry, economic growth, automation, fabrication, technology adoption, economic influence, income, competitiveness, agent-based modelling, transformation, quantification, efficiency, economic condition, agent, economic impact, construction manager, market condition, strategy |
| Subjects: | practitioner, innovation and technology management, economic analysis, manufacturing engineering, economic development, automation and robotics, market analysis, financial analysis, behavioral psychology, profession, business, economic and policy analysis, modelling and simulation, management, performance management, measurement and scaling, industry analysis |
| Topics: | Sustainability, Engineering Principles, Quality Management, Roles and Professions, Cost Management, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Digital Applications |
| 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