Effects of Organizational Elements on Emerging Information and Construction Management Technology Implementation in Building Professionals: Moderating Role of Top Management Support

Abstract

Emerging information and construction management technology (EICMT) has become prevailing in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry to achieve digital transformation by applying emerging information technologies (i.e., Internet of things, cloud computing, and mobile Internet) in construction management works (i.e., cost management, stakeholder management, on-site construction management, etc.). This study aims to test the relations between organizational elements and building professional EICMT implementation and explore its practical path by identifying the mediators and moderators. 507 valid responses were obtained using the questionnaire online. Mplus 8.0, a statistical analysis software that prevails in handling complex models, is used for path analysis and bootstrapping tests in this study. Path analyses are conducted to test the relations between organizational elements and EICMT implementation. Bootstrapping tests are used to identify the mediator and moderator. The finding reveals that corporate normative pressure and technology facilitating conditions can directly affect building professional EICMT implementation; the mediating role of perceived ease of use is verified between technology facilitating condition and building professional EICMT implementation, and the moderating effect of top management support is confirmed by remodeling the relations between organizational elements and EICMT implementation, which provides a boundary condition for the building professionals’ EICMT implementation. Our study extends the relations between organizational elements and building professional EICMT implementation by exploring the mediator role of perceived ease of use and moderator of top management support. The findings from this study can enrich the research on the antecedents of EICMT implementation in the AEC industry. Moreover, this study provides guidelines for practitioners to formulate corporate norms, foster corporate culture, and provide technology facilitating conditions to promote EICMT implementation. It also requires top management to engage in digital transformation in the AEC industry. Emerging information and construction management technology (EICMT) is applied to improve project management efficiency in the AEC industry. Construction enterprises make several efforts to encourage their building professionals to implement EICMT, such as formal norms and informal culture, but the implementation of EICMT is contentious in practice. This study recommends that corporate normative pressure, technology-facilitating conditions, and top management support are crucial for the EICMT implementation in building professionals. Besides, building professionals prefer to select technologies that are easy to use rather than practical. Therefore, construction enterprises should formulate formal norms related to EICMT implementation to evaluate building professionals’ job performance, which can urge employees to apply EICMT in their daily work and also provide rewards for these employees who use EICMT in their jobs and improve work outcomes. Moreover, construction enterprises can provide convenient conditions on EICMT to encourage building professionals to accept EICMT, such as training, operation manuals, and professional guidance. Construction enterprises’ top managers should actively participate in EICMT promotion by implementing EICMT in daily work, communicating EICMT with their employees, and recognizing its benefits.