Widén, K and Hansson, B (2007) Diffusion characteristics of private sector financed innovation in Sweden. Construction Management and Economics, 25(5), pp. 467-475. ISSN 1466433X
Abstract
Although construction is considered to be slow in adopting new technology and new processes, innovation, research and development are performed routinely. Nonetheless, knowledge about what affects the diffusion of research results - in the context of innovations - is incomplete, limiting the effectiveness of procedures designed to evaluate project proposals. The aim is to examine the factors that can influence the diffusion of results, in this case from externally funded construction innovation projects. A Fisher's exact test is performed on six concepts derived from general innovation theory which are tested on 20 development projects. The test is used to establish the significance of the six concepts and their applicability to construction-related innovation. The results reveal support for all six concepts, although only four of them attract a high level of significance. External lateral and vertical communication and external integration during the development phase are shown to increase the chances of successful diffusion and should therefore be assessed in project proposals.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | adoption; construction innovation; development; diffusion; innovation theory |
| Index terms: | private sector, Sweden, new technology, effectiveness, innovation theory, proposal, construction innovation, research and development, integration |
| Subjects: | project planning, innovation and technology management, industry analysis, organizational analysis, research management, building construction, Geography, theoretical framing, performance management |
| Topics: | Quality Management, Organizational Design, Engineering Principles, Project Management, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Business Strategy |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
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