Model development for the adoption of technology: Electronic commerce in the construction industry

Abstract

Emerging information and communication technology (ICT) introduces many opportunities for the improved transfer of business documents throughout the trading process in the construction industry. Perceived and actual benefits have been realised throughout many studies however the relative success or failure has not been fully investigated for neither an individual organisational basis or throughout a complete supply chain. This research fills this knowledge gap by focusing on the feasibility of success before any design or development is undergone. The primary objective was to explore, explain and understand the nature of an organisation in the construction industry with reference to the adoption of technology and electronic trading methods such as electronic data interchange (EDI) and other methods of electronic commerce (Ecommerce). The second objective was to dissect the primary research and discover the key construct elements that exist and make an organisation what it is. These four quadrants or related business influences will form the basis for the factors governing success or failure of an adoption for both a stand-alone organisation and one within a supply chain. The third objective was to development a new analytical tool for determining success prior to the adoption of new technology into an existing business framework. The fourth objective was to test the tool within the construction industry in the UK and analyse the results. This research adopted a quantitative research approach in the form of a questionnaire that when data was recorded and analysed could produce a graphical representation of an organisation. Three models have been developed, they are focused toward determining success; (1) stand-alone organisational success, (2) supply chain success, (3) period of time taken to achieve successful adoption. This research helps us to understand the nature and extent of intra-organisational factors that influence the adoption of new technology. Secondly it provides the four key factors (four quadrants) that determine successful adoption: human resources, management, processes, and culture. Thirdly, these factors provide the building blocks for newly developed models. This provides for a clearer understanding of whether new information technology and communication developments can be successfully adopted into any organisation. Lastly, the research can help us understand the barriers to, and levers for, successful adoption. This research has some limitations that need to be acknowledged, most importantly the ‘target model’ was constructed from four quadrants that are evenly sized and weighted based on a questionnaire that suffers from a similar issue, further research is needed to address this weighting issue.