Habets, T; Voordijk, H and Sijde, P V D (2011) The adoption of innovative asphalt equipment in road construction. Construction Innovation, 11(2), pp. 229-245. ISSN 1471-4175
Abstract
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the adoption process of innovative asphalt equipment in road construction and how the level of knowledge as characterised by the level of education in the companies affects this process. The emphasis is on equipment used for transporting asphalt from asphalt plant to construction site or at the construction site itself. It is assumed that the uptake of this equipment is influenced by the radicality of the innovation and the company's level of education. Design/methodology/approach - In this research, the innovation behaviour of construction companies is assessed through a case study, an expert opinion, and an industry survey (of which 55 per cent of the total population participated). Findings - The results show that on average, experts and companies alike give more radical equipment innovations less adoption chances. Companies prefer to make minor improvements and perceive no benefits in implementing a risky radical equipment innovation. Companies that have a higher level of knowledge are found to show a more positive and professional attitude towards implementing innovative asphalt equipment. Research limitations/implications - The defined knowledge is restricted to the formal level of education of both management and the firm in one part of the construction industry. The knowledge indicator used in this study has a high validity (it is easy to measure). Further research could focus on other types of knowledge affecting innovation adoption in other parts of the construction industry. Originality/value - The value of this study is that it addresses the important questions of how managers of construction firms select equipment and how it is affected by the level of knowledge.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | innovation; knowledge management; roads |
| Index terms: | knowledge management, methodology, population, construction site, survey, construction company, construction firm, manager, construction industry, road construction, validity, case study, innovation adoption |
| Subjects: | work location, innovation studies, practitioner, data collection methods, evaluation and assessment methods, organization, industry analysis, demography, professional development, research methods, civil engineering |
| Topics: | Site Management, Urban Studies, Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Engineering Principles, Information Management, Business Strategy |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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