Keywords: technology adoption, offsite manufacturing, industry level, leadership, coordination, task interdependence.

Offsite manufacturing (OSM) offers opportunities to construction firms to improve productivity. Nevertheless, the OSM uptake by the construction industry is slow and varies according to the type of OSM products. For example, some OSM involves systematic changes throughout the industry supply chain, i.e. architects, builders, consultants have to adopt the same product for it to work. To adopt such OSM means industry wide changes are necessary. Without strong industry level leadership and coordination, the adoption process is doomed to be slow due to disparate sharing of risks and benefits amongst many stakeholder involved. In contrast, some OSM product, such as roof trusses and wall fillers can be utilized by the builder alone without the need for other stakeholder involvement. Much of the existing studies on OSM have focused on the benefits, constraints, drivers, and stakeholders perspectives with no explanation of the varying adoption rates for different types of OSM products.

This paper draws on the theory of technology adoption, in particular the technology acceptance model (TAM) and proposes a model that explains the pattern of OSM adoption in the construction industry. Specifically, task interdependence moderates the effects of industry level leadership and coordination on OSM uptake. When task interdependence is high, the industry level leadership and coordination has a positive and strong effect on OSM uptake. In contrast, when task interdependence is low, the effect of industry level leadership and coordination is weak. The model can be validated through comparative studies of construction industries in two countries where there is a strong contrast in the leadership and coordination.

purchase the full-text of this paper (price £20)

go to the previous paper
go to the next paper
return to the table of contents
return to the book description
purchase this book (price £65 +P&P)