Alkalbani, Saeed (2009) Exploring ICT adoption and diffusion in the Omani construction industry. PhD thesis, University of Salford, UK.
Abstract
Realising the importance of the need to shift its economy away from its oil and gas resources, the government of the Sultanate of Oman has developed and launched a long-term development strategy, the 'Oman Vision 2020' plan (1996-2020) which focuses on ICT and the fundamental establishment of a knowledge economy to increase Oman's economic productivity and thereby improve the citizens' livelihood. However, the Omani construction sector, in particular, is lagging behind this vision. Worldwide, construction is the largest industrial sector, and currently in Oman the construction industry is considered to be one of the most important contributors to GDP, and is the largest private sector in terms of employment. The Omani construction economy is deregulated; it is open to external investors who are creating a highly competitive environment which is putting local organisations at threat, many of which are now operating in survival mode. Current practices rely on traditional, paper based processes; communications and collaboration on construction projects are conducted mostly via traditional methods with little use of technology other than telephone and fax; computers and advanced ICT are employed in an ad hoc manner, and there is little evidence of knowledge management. There are a number of limitations, problems, and barriers to the effective development of the industry, and a considerable gap exists between the modus operandi of the construction sectors in the developed economies and that in Oman. The outcome of this research is a staged ICT Construction Roadmap for the diffusion of ICT in the Omani construction industry to bring construction in line with the Sultanate's Oman Vision 2020. Oman has a long road to follow as it needs first to attain the technological capability and maturity already achieved elsewhere in the world. Once the industry has achieved this, it will then be able to continue advancing with the industries elsewhere and thereby be in a position to compete at an international level.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Index terms: | strategy, construction sector, knowledge management, technological capability, construction project, collaboration, evidence, private sector, productivity, employment, Oman, investor, oil and gas, construction industry, survival |
| Subjects: | sociology, industry analysis, management, professional development, innovation and technology management, environmental science, evaluation and assessment methods, production management, Geography |
| Topics: | Organizational Design, Human Resources, Stakeholder Management, Information Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Sustainability, Engineering Principles, Project Management, Geographical Context |
| 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