Key Dimensions of the Technical Readiness of Small Construction Businesses That Determine Their Intention to Use ICTs

Abstract

While information communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential to significantly improve construction project outcomes for small builders, their take up is relatively poor as they often face severe resource constraints. Previous construction studies have examined a range of adoption determinants, but there has been no previous research into how much small construction businesses’ readiness to use ICTs predicts their intention to use ICTs—readiness being assessed by reviewing the business management’s beliefs about ICTs, which are argued herein to have an important influence on the use of ICTs. The widely validated technology readiness (TR) model is used to test four hypotheses concerning the relationship between small builders’ readiness and intention to use ICTs in project management. Data from an online survey of 110 small Australian builders were analyzed, with six semi-structured expert interviews later conducted to help validate and interpret the results and provide some context-specific interpretation of the quantitative results. The main finding is that the readiness dimensions of optimism, innovativeness, and insecurity are key determinants of small construction businesses’ intention to use ICTs. Thus, this study shows that the use of ICTs is largely dependent on management’s beliefs about their benefits and the risks involved. This is particularly significant, because small businesses contribute a large proportion of industry output.