Share:


Capabilities-based forecasting model for innovation development in small-and-medium construction firms (SMCFS)

    Chen Wang   Affiliation
    ; Yee Lin Lee Affiliation
    ; Jeffrey Boon Hui Yap Affiliation
    ; Hamzah Abdul-Rahman Affiliation

Abstract

Triggering innovation among Small-and-Medium Construction Firms (SMCFs) is of paramount importance to gear up the growth of construction firms. Thus, this study aims to develop a Capability-Based forecasting model for innovation development in SMCFs. Built on 157 questionnaires, the model was tested using partial least squares (PLS) technique of structural equation modelling (SEM). The practicality and robustness of this model was then validated by 12 experts. Findings affirm SMCFs making use of multiple Capability-Based approaches would be able to secure their performance via innovation activities. For academia, the new model contributes to the stream of construction innovation management by integrating both technological and organizational innovations in a single framework. For practitioners and policymakers, the model offers valuable input for continuing growth of SMCFs via innovation.

Keyword : capability-based model, innovation development, construction SME, forecasting model

How to Cite
Wang, C., Lee, Y. L., Yap, J. B. H., & Abdul-Rahman, H. (2018). Capabilities-based forecasting model for innovation development in small-and-medium construction firms (SMCFS). Journal of Civil Engineering and Management, 24(3), 167-182. https://doi.org/10.3846/jcem.2018.1626
Published in Issue
May 24, 2018
Abstract Views
1506
PDF Downloads
922
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

Abdul-Rahman, H.; Wang, C.; Lee, Y. L. 2013. Design and pilot run of fuzzy synthetic model (FSM) for risk evaluation in civil engineering, Journal of Civil Engineering and Management 19(2): 217–238. https://doi.org/10.3846/13923730.2012.743926

Alashwal, A.; Fong, P. 2015. Empirical study to determine fragmentation of construction projects, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 141(7), 04015016. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000986

Arditi, D.; Polat, G.; Makinde, S. A. 2008. Marketing practices of US contractors, Journal of Management in Engineering 24(4): 255–264. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0742-597X(2008)24:4(255)

Armstrong, J. S.; Overton, T. S. 1977. Estimating nonresponse bias in mail surveys, Journal of Marketing Research 14(3): 396–402. https://doi.org/10.2307/3150783

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). 2006. Innovation in Australian business. Cat. No. 8158.0. Canberra: ABS.
Barney, J. 1991. Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage, Journal of Management 17: 99–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700108

Barney, J. B.; Wright, P. 1998. On becoming a strategic partner: The roles of human resources in gaining competitive advantage, Human Resource Management 37(1): 31–46. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-050X(199821)37:1<31::AID-HRM4>3.0.CO;2-W

Barrett, P.; Sexton, M. 2006. Innovation in small, project-based construction firms, British Journal of Management 17(4): 331–346. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8551.2005.00461.x

Betts, M.; Ofori, G. 1992. Strategic planning for competitive advantage in construction, Construction Management and Economics 10(6): 511–532. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446199200000049

Betts, M.; Wood-Harper, T. 1994. Reengineering construction: a new management research agenda, Construction Management and Economics 12(6): 551–556. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446199400000065

Brochner, J. 2010. Construction contractors as service innovators, Building Research and Information 38(3): 235–246. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613211003616706

Bygballe, L.; Ingemansson, M. 2014. The logic of innovation in construction, Industrial Marketing Management 43: 512–524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2013.12.019

Chang, Y. C.; Linton, J. D.; Chen, M. N. 2012. Service regime: An empirical analysis of innovation patterns in service firms, Technological Forecasting & Social Change 79: 1569–1582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2012.05.017

Chaston, I.; Badger, B.; Sadler-Smith, E. 2001. Organizational learning: An empirical assessment of process in small UK manufacturing firms, Journal of Small Business Management 39: 139–151. https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-627X.00013

Chetty, S.; Holm, D. B. 2000. Internationalisation of small to medium-sized manufacturing firms: A network approach, International Business Review 9(1): 77–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0969-5931(99)00030-X

Chin, W. W. 1998. The partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling, in G. A. Marcoulides (Ed.). Modern business research methods. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 295–358.

Chin, W. W.; Dibbern, J. 2010. A permutation based procedure for multi-group PLS analysis: Results of tests of differences on simulated data and a cross cultural analysis of the sourcing of information system services between Germany and the USA, in V. E. Vinzi, W. W. Chin, J. Henseler and H. Wang (Eds). Handbook of partial least square: Concepts, methods and applications in marketing and related fields. Berlin: Springer, 171–193. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-32827-8_8

Cohen, W.; Klepper, S. 1996. A reprise of size and R&D, The Economic Journal 106: 925–951. https://doi.org/10.2307/2235365

Damanpour, F. 1991. Organizational innovation: A meta–analysis of effects of determinants and moderators, Academy of Management Journal 34(3): 555–590. https://doi.org/10.2307/256406

Deshpande, R.; Farley, J. W.; Webster, F. E. J. 1993. Corporate culture, customer orientation, and innovativeness in Japanese firms: A quadrad analysis, Journal of Marketing 57(1): 27–37. https://doi.org/10.2307/1252055

Dibrell, C.; Davis, P. S.; Craig, J. 2008. Fueling innovation through information technology in SMEs, Journal of Small Business Management 46(2): 203–218. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-627X.2008.00240.x

El-Mashaleh, M.; O’Brien, W. J.; Minchin, Jr., R. E. 2006. Firm performance and information technology utilization in the construction industry, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 132(5): 499–507. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2006)132:5(499)

Fornell, C.; Larcker, D. 1981. Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error, Journal of Marketing Research 18(1): 39–50. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312

Gann, D. M.; Salter, A. J. 2000. Innovation in project based, service enhanced firms: The construction of complex products and systems, Research Policy 29: 955–972. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-7333(00)00114-1

Garcia-Morales, V. J.; Llorens-Montes, F. J.; Verdu-Jover, A. J. 2007. Influence of personal mastery on organizational performance through organizational learning and innovation in large firms and SMEs, Technovation 27: 547–568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2007.02.013

Gronum, S.; Verreynne, M. L.; Kastelle, T. 2012. The role of networks in small and medium–sized enterprise innovation and firm performance, Journal of Small Business Management 50(2): 257–282. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-627X.2012.00353.x

Gunday, G.; Ulusoy, G.; Kilic, K.; Alpkan, L. 2011. Effects of innovation types on firm performance, International Journal of Production Economics 133: 662–676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2011.05.014

Hair, J. F.; Hult, G. T. M.; Ringle, C. M.; Sarstedt, M. A. 2013. Primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS–SEM). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Hair, J.; Black, W. C.; Babin, B. J.; Anderson, R. E.; Tatham, R. L. 2006. Multivariate data analysis. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education International.

Hardie, M. P.; Manley, K. 2008. Exemplars of successful innovation delivery by small and medium construction enterprises, in K. A. Brown, K. D. Hampson, P. S. Brandon and J. Pillay (Eds). Clients driving construction innovation: Benefiting from innovation. Brisbane: CRC for Construction Innovation, 190–196.

Hardie, M.; Allen, J.; Newell, G. 2013. Environmentally driven technical innovation by Australian construction SMEs, Smart and Sustainable Built Environment 2(2): 179–191. https://doi.org/10.1108/SASBE-01-2013-0003

Hillebrandt, P. 2006. Letter to the editor, Construction Management and Economics 24: 669–670. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446190500249429

Hine, D.; Ryan, N. 1999. Small service firms: Creating value through innovation, Managing Service Quality 9(6): 411–422. https://doi.org/10.1108/09604529910302109

Hulland, J.; Ryan, M. J.; Rayner, R. K. 2010. Modeling customer satisfaction: A comparative performance evaluation of covariance structure analysis versus partial least squares, in V. E. Vinzi, W. W. Chin, J. Henseler, and H. Wang (Eds). Handbook of partial least square: Concepts, methods and applications in marketing and related fields. Berlin: Springer, 307–325. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-32827-8_15

Iliescu, M.; Ciocan, R. 2017. Modern technologies innovation in use for quality control on construction site, Procedia Engineering 181: 999–1004. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2017.02.499

Jerez-Gomez, P.; Cespedes-Lorente, J.; Valle-Cabrera, R. 2005. Organizational learning capability: A proposal of measurement, Journal of Business Research 58(6): 715–725. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2003.11.002

Kohli, A. K.; Jaworski, B. J. 1990. Market orientation: The construct, research propositions and managerial implications, Journal of Marketing 54(2): 1–18. https://doi.org/10.2307/1251866

Kolb, D. 1984. Experiential learning. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Kotler, P.; Armstrong, G. 1991. Principles of marketing. 5th ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Laforet, S. 2013. Organizational innovation outcomes in SMEs: Effects of age, size and sector, Journal of World Business 48(4): 490–502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2012.09.005

Langford, D.; Dimitrijevic, B. 2002. Construction creativity casebook. London: Thomas Telford Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1680/ccc.31487

Laursen, K.; Salter, A. 2006. Open innovation: The role of openness in explaining innovation performance among U.K. manufacturing firms, Strategic Management Journal 27: 131–150. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.507

Liao, L.; Teo, E. A. L. 2017. Critical success factors for enhancing the building information modelling implementation in building projects in Singapore, Journal of Civil Engineering and Management 23(8): 1029–1044. https://doi.org/10.3846/13923730.2017.1374300

Ling, F. Y. Y.; Li, S; Low, S. P.; Ofori, G. 2012. Mathematical models for predicting Chinese A/E/C firms’ competitiveness, Automation in Construction 24: 40–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2012.02.016

Lu, S. L.; Sexton, M. 2006. Innovation in small construction knowledge–intensive professional service firms: A case study of an architectural practice, Construction Management and Economics 24(12): 1269–1282. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446190600879109

Lukas, B. A.; Ferrell, O. C. 2000. The effect of market orientation on product innovation, Journal of Academy of Marketing Science 28(2): 239–247. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092070300282005

Manley, K. 2008. Against the odds: Small firms in Australia successfully introducing new technology on construction projects, Research Policy 37(10): 1751–1764. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2008.07.013

Martínez-Román, J. A.; Tamayo, J. A.; Gamero, J. 2017. Innovativeness and its influence on growth and market extension in construction firms in the Andalusian region, Journal of Engineering and Technology Management 43: 19–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jengtecman.2016.11.002

Matear, S.; Osborne, P.; Garrett, T.; Gray, B. 2002. How does market orientation contribute to service firm performance? An examination of alternative mechanisms, European Journal of Marketing 36(9/10): 1058–1075. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560210437334

Mohannak, K. 2007. Innovation networks and capability building in the Australian high–technology SMEs, European Journal of Innovation Management 10(2): 236–251. https://doi.org/10.1108/14601060710745279

Narver, J. C.; Slater, S. F. 1990. The effect of a market orientation on business profitability, Journal of Marketing 54(4): 20–35. https://doi.org/10.2307/1251757

Narver, J. C.; Slater, S. F.; MacLachlan, D. L. 2004. Responsive and proactive market orientation and new product success, Journal of Product Innovation Management 21: 334–347. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0737-6782.2004.00086.x

Nasution, H. N.; Mavondo, F. T. 2008. Organizational capabilities: Antecedents and implications for customer value, European Journal of Marketing 42(3/4): 477–501. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560810853020

Nasution, H. N.; Mavondo, F. T.; Matanda, M. J.; Ndubisi, N. O. 2011. Entrepreneurship: Its relationship with market orientation and learning orientation and as antecedents to innovation and customer value, Industrial Marketing Management 40: 336–345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2010.08.002

National SME Development Council. 2005. Definitions for small and medium enterprises in Malaysia. Bank Negara, Kuala Lumpur.

Nelson, R.; Winter, S. 1982. An evolutionary theory of economic change. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press.

Nonaka, I. 1994. A dynamic theory of organizational knowledge creation, Organization Science 5(1): 14–37. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.5.1.14

Nunnally, J. C. 1978. Psychometric theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Nyström, J.; Nilsson, J.; Lind, H. 2016. Degrees of freedom and innovations in construction contracts, Transport Policy 47: 119–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2016.01.004

Oerlemans, L. A. G., Knoben, J. 2010. Configurations of knowledge transfer relations: An empirically based taxonomy and its determinants, Journal of Engineering and Technology Management 27(1/2): 33–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jengtecman.2010.03.002

Pedersen, D. O. 1996. The economics of innovation in construction, in M. Katavic (Ed.). Economic Management of Innovation, Productivity and Quality in Construction: CIB W 55 Building Economics 7th International Symposium. Zagreb, Croatia: Faculty of Civil Engineering University of Zagreb, 158–184.

Pelham, A. M. 1999. Influence of environment, strategy, and market orientation on performance in small manufacturing firms, Journal of Business Research 45(1): 33–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963(98)00026-5

Podsakoff, P. M.; MacKenzie, S. B.; Lee, J. Y.; Podsakoff, N. P. 2003. Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies, Journal of Applied Psychology 88(5): 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879

Polanyi, M. 1967. The tacit dimension. New York: Doubleday Anchor.

Razouk, A. 2011. High-performance work systems and performance of French small- and medium-sized enterprises: Examining causal order, International Journal of Human Resource Management 22(2): 311–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2011.540157

Reichstein, T.; Salter, A. J.; Gann, D. M. 2005. Last among equals: a comparison of innovation in construction, services and manufacturing in the UK, Construction Management and Economics 23(6): 631–644. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446190500126940

Rezgui, Y.; Miles, J. 2010. Exploring the potential of SME alliances in the construction sector, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 136(5): 558–567. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000150

Russell, A.; Tawiah, P.; Zoysa, S. 2006. Project innovation: a function of procurement mode, Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering 33(12): 1519–1537. https://doi.org/10.1139/l06-077

Salunke, S.; Weerawardena, J.; McColl–Kennedy, J. R. 2011. Towards a model of dynamic capabilities in innovation-based competitive strategy: Insights from project-oriented service firms, Industrial Marketing Management 40(8): 1251–1263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2011.10.009

Schumpeter, J. A. 1934. The theory of economic development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Sexton, M.; Barrett, P. 2003. Appropriate innovation in small construction firms, Construction Management and Economics 21(6): 623–633. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144619032000134156

Sexton, M.; Barrett, P.; Aouad, G. 2006. Motivating small construction companies to adopt new technology, Building Research and Information 34(1): 11–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613210500254474

Slater, S.; Narver, J. C. 1994. Does competitive environment moderate the market orientation–performance relationship?, Journal of Marketing 58: 46–55. https://doi.org/10.2307/1252250

Slaughter, E. S. 2000. Implementation of construction innovation, Building Research and Information 28(1): 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/096132100369055

Tatum, C. B.; Funke, A. T. 1988. Partially–automated grading: construction process innovation, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 114(1): 19–35. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(1988)114:1(19)

Thorpe, D.; Ryan, N.; Charles, M. B. 2009. Innovation and small residential builders: An Australian study, Construction Innovation 9(2): 184–200. https://doi.org/10.1108/14714170910950821

Turk, Z. 2016. Responsible research and innovation in construction, Procedia Engineering 164: 461–466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2016.11.645

Utterback, J. M. 1974. Innovation in industry and the diffusion of technology, Science 183: 658–662. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.183.4125.620

Wernerfelt, B. 1984. A resource-based view of the firm, Strategic Management Journal 5: 171–180. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250050207

Wiklund, J. 1999. The sustainability of the entrepreneurial orientation–performance relationship, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 24(1): 37–48. https://doi.org/10.1177/104225879902400103

Wiklund, J.; Shepherd, D. 2005. Entrepreneurial orientation and small business performance: A configurational approach, Journal of Business Venturing 20(1): 71–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2004.01.001

Winch, G. 1998. Zephyrs of creative destruction: understanding the management of innovation in construction, Building Research and Information 26(4): 268–279. https://doi.org/10.1080/096132198369751

Wright, P.; Dunford, B.; Snell, S. 2001. Human resources and resource based view of the firm, Journal of Management 27(6): 701–721. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920630102700607

Xue, X.; Zhang, X.; Wang, L.; Skitmore, M.; Wang, Q. 2018. Analyzing collaborative relationships among industrialized construction technology innovation organizations: A combined SNA and SEM approach, Journal of Cleaner Production 173: 265–277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.01.009

Yap, J. B. H.; Skitmore, M. 2017. Investigating design changes in Malaysian building projects, Architectural Engineering and Design Managementi. https://doi.org/10.1080/17452007.2017.1384714

Zubizarreta, M.; Cuadrado, J.; Iradi, J.; García, H.; Orbe, A. 2017. Innovation evaluation model for macro–construction sector companies: A study in Spain, Evaluation and Program Planning 61: 22–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2016.10.014