Lai, K S; Yusof, N A and Kamal, E M (2016) Innovation orientation in architectural firms. Construction Innovation, 16(4), pp. 425-445. ISSN 1471-4175
Abstract
Purpose Innovation is defined as the creation and adoption of changes that are new to an organisation or industry. The high probability of failure and the lack of innovation in the construction industry have highlighted the importance of innovation (both creation and adoption) as a business orientation. Although they are related to the construction industry, architectural firms receive little attention from an innovation perspective despite being perceived as important drivers of innovation. Thus, this paper aims to examine the distinctive characteristics of various innovation orientations and determine the state of innovation among architectural firms. Design/methodology/approach A postal survey was sent to 1,004 registered architectural firms in Malaysia. The data were processed using descriptive analysis. A factor analysis was conducted to categorise innovation creation and adoption, and a paired samples t-test was performed to examine the innovation orientations of architectural firms. Findings Innovation creation and innovation adoption are two distinct orientations with different characteristics. Architectural firms in Malaysia are oriented towards innovation creation, which intersects with innovation adoption. Research limitations/implications This study used a questionnaire survey that generated only statistical results. Future research should conduct interviews or focus group discussions to obtain comprehensive findings. Practical implications The innovation concept is expanded in terms of its orientations. Originality/value This study illustrates significant differences between innovation creation and innovation adoption in the architectural firms of a developing country, i.e. Malaysia.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | innovation,construction industry,innovation adoption,innovation creation,malaysia,architectural firms |
| Index terms: | Malaysia, architectural firm, innovation adoption, innovation creation, factor analysis, construction industry, interview, developing country, focus group, survey, innovation orientation, methodology, questionnaire |
| Subjects: | innovation studies, data collection methods, business, Geography, development economics, research methods, industry analysis, statistical analysis |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Research Practice, Geographical Context, International Construction |
| 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