Modelling the Construction Technology Implementation Framework: An Empirical Study

Implementation of new technology is often required when a company wants to improve productivity and enhance safety in construction. Many studies in the literature have focused on new technology applications in the construction industry and how it can improve productivity or solve a complex problem. However, the literature has overlooked how a construction company introduces new technology and especially what attributes and other considerations (e.g. useability, spare part, part availability, and down time) affect the adoption decision. This paper presents a multi-stage framework for implementation process following the construction company's adoption decision. The aim of this paper is to understand how a company proceeds after the adoption decision in order to implement new technology. To do that, 32 participants from Australia and 64 participants from North America (i.e. the US, and Canada) were recruited to investigate the process. Participants from both sides of the process (i.e. customers and vendors) were chosen in order to cross-validate the findings of each group using data triangulation methods. This study departs from previous studies which have focused on the customer's intention to use a specific technology at a particular stage. This study develops a systematic multi-stage framework consisting of three stages: 'operation', 'maintenance', and 'assessment' for understanding the implementation process. In addition, this study investigates vendors' activities that might contribute to the process which has been overlooked in previous research. The findings of this chapter fill a gap insofar as it provides a deeper understanding of the technology installation and use process. The research also contributes to the body of knowledge in technology adoption by developing a systematic framework for predicting the post-adoption process.