ORCID Profile
0000-0003-3391-1663
Current Organisation
Northumbria University
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2022
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 20-07-2023
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-01-2023-0012
Abstract: A novel facet of the construction industry's (CI) digital transformation relates to the rise of smart contracts, and the contribution of blockchain technology in this domain appears to be nascent but rapidly gaining traction. Although the benefits of digitalisation for technologically less enthusiastic CI are irrefutable, the adoption of smart contracts has been found to be low pertaining to industry professionals' behavioural factors stimulated by technological perception. The challenge undertook by this study, therefore, is to develop a knowledge framework for blockchain-enabled smart contract adoption in the CI. From a methodological perspective, this study employed a qualitative approach that involved semi-structured interviews with ten (10) highly experienced CI practitioners involved in digital innovations for data collection. Directed content analysis was performed using NVivo 12 software, which enabled the creation of preliminary open codes. Subsequently, these open codes were grouped into similar categories to develop axial codes. Finally, the study presented final themes along with their corresponding descriptions. Notably, research findings expanded the current body of knowledge on perceived attributes and their measurement items to determine the perception of innovation adoption in CI, where a total of nine (9) perceived attributes were associated with thirty-two (32) measurement items. The measurement items were seen as having an extensive impact on the CI professionals' decision to adopt blockchain-enabled smart contracts. With ensuing implications, this study represents one of the first to present a knowledge framework exclusively customised for blockchain-enabled smart contracts, laying the groundwork for effective technological adoption by CI professionals.
Publisher: Building Economics and Management Research Unit (BEMRU), University of Moratuwa
Date: 24-06-2022
DOI: 10.31705/WCS.2022.72
Abstract: The construction industry is one of the leading economic sectors in any country yet is renowned for its reluctance to adopt novel innovations. Meanwhile, research has found that the decision of any industry on the adoption or rejection of innovations depends on its positive or negative perception, which is stipulated by industry professionals’ knowledge. Therefore, this research aims to disclose how the professionals’ knowledge affects successful innovation adoption specific to the construction industry. A qualitatively based extensive literature synthesis has been conducted concerning three concepts to provide a holistic view of innovation decisions. Namely, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Technology-Organisation-Environment framework (TOE), and Diffusion of Innovation theory (DOI). The findings revealed that the "existing knowledge" of professionals was a key factor in innovation decisions. Accordingly, five main perceived attributes (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability) have been identified through Roger’s innovation-decision model, and decisively common measurement items have been documented under each perceived attribute that comprehensively endorses the "existing knowledge" of construction professionals. Furthermore, this contemporary study found that all the recognised measurement items extensively affect innovation-decision. In the absence of a pragmatic decision framework, this article provides a clear impression for both technology developers and their users/stakeholders on crucial elements of innovation adoption that have been concerned via decision makers' technological perception.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 19-05-2022
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-10-2021-0963
Abstract: The unprecedented SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has further constrained the budgets of governments worldwide for delivering their much-needed infrastructure. Consequently, public-private partnerships (PPPs), with the private sector's investment and ingenuity, would appear to be an increasingly popular alternative. Value for money (VfM) has become the major criterion for evaluating PPPs against the traditional public sector procurement and, however, is plagued with controversy. Hence, it is important that governments compare and contrast their practice with similar and disparate bodies to engender best practice. This paper, therefore, aims to understand governments' assessment context and provide a cross-continental comparison of their VfM assessment. Faced with different domestic contexts (e.g. aging infrastructure, population growth, and competing demands on finance), governments tend to place different emphases when undertaking the VfM assessment. In line with the theory of boundary spanning, a cross-continental comparison is conducted between three of the most noticeable PPP markets (i.e. the United Kingdom, Australia and China) about their VfM assessment. The institutional level is interpreted by a social, economic and political framework, and the methodological level is elucidated through a qualitative and quantitative VfM assessment. There are in idual institutional characteristics that have shaped the way each country assesses VfM. For the methodological level, we identify that: (1) these global markets use a public sector comparator as the benchmark in VfM assessment (2) ambiguous qualitative assessment is conducted only against PPPs to strengthen their policy development (3) Australia's priority is in service provision whereas that of the UK and China is project finance and production and (4) all markets are seeking an amelioration of existing controversial VfM assessments so that purported VfM relates to project lifecycles. As such, an option framework is proposed to make headway towards a sensible selection of infrastructure procurement approaches in the post COVID-19 era. This study addresses a current void of enhancing the decision-making process for using PPPs within today's changing environment and then opens up an avenue for future empirical research to examine the option framework and ensuing VfM decisions. Practically, it presents a holistic VfM landscape for public sector procurers that aim to engage with PPPs for their infrastructure interventions.
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 03-2023
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Niraj Thurairajah.