Innovation orientation in architectural firms

Abstract

Purpose Innovation is defined as the creation and adoption of changes that are new to an organisation or industry. The high probability of failure and the lack of innovation in the construction industry have highlighted the importance of innovation (both creation and adoption) as a business orientation. Although they are related to the construction industry, architectural firms receive little attention from an innovation perspective despite being perceived as important drivers of innovation. Thus, this paper aims to examine the distinctive characteristics of various innovation orientations and determine the state of innovation among architectural firms. Design/methodology/approach A postal survey was sent to 1,004 registered architectural firms in Malaysia. The data were processed using descriptive analysis. A factor analysis was conducted to categorise innovation creation and adoption, and a paired samples t-test was performed to examine the innovation orientations of architectural firms. Findings Innovation creation and innovation adoption are two distinct orientations with different characteristics. Architectural firms in Malaysia are oriented towards innovation creation, which intersects with innovation adoption. Research limitations/implications This study used a questionnaire survey that generated only statistical results. Future research should conduct interviews or focus group discussions to obtain comprehensive findings. Practical implications The innovation concept is expanded in terms of its orientations. Originality/value This study illustrates significant differences between innovation creation and innovation adoption in the architectural firms of a developing country, i.e. Malaysia.

Characteristics of innovation orientations in construction companies

“…The purposes of this pre-test were to evaluate the question structure and to ensure that the respondents recognised the purpose of the questions to establish validity (Dillman, 2000;Sekaran and Bougie, 2009). This pre-test approach is similar to that applied by Lai et al (2016), Kamaruddeen (2011) and in built environment research. Then, the questionnaire was improved by implementing adjustments such as shortening a question and avoiding technical terms.…”

“…Innovation orientations Hollenstein (2003) asserts that innovation should receive extra attention due to its complexity and that innovative actions should be comprehensively understood so that inconsistencies can be solved. Despite the extensive research on innovation, the fundamental concept of innovation remains uncertain (Lai et al, 2016;Damanpour and Schneider, 2009). To further address the inconsistencies in innovation studies, Fagerberg (2009, p. 9) asks, "If A for the first time introduces a particular innovation in one context, while B later introduces the same innovation in another, would we characterize both as innovators?"…”

“…Innovation-related studies with inconclusive results all define or examine innovation creation and adoption as equivalent. However, the literature notes that innovation creation and innovation adoption possess different characteristics, success factors and organisational backgrounds (Ravichandran, 1999;Naranjo-Valencia et al, 2011;Yusof et al, 2014;Kamal et al, 2016;Lai et al, 2016). Because the distinction between innovation orientations has been unclear, policy makers or leaders may have implemented imprecise strategies to improve or promote innovation.…”

Identifying factors for incorporating spatial data into BIM using the Delphi method

“…Therefore, it would not be surprising if BIM technology received a slow response from the industry players (Rogers et al, 2015, Liao et al, 2017. At the same time, innovations in the construction industry are not all the same, and each innovation has different influencing factors and outcomes (Lai et al, 2016). Kamal et al (2016) showed that some firm characteristics have different impacts on a firm's adoption of innovation.…”

Sustainable BIM-Based Construction Engineering Education Curriculum for Practice-Oriented Training

“…There have been many research studies that have applied the BIM and ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) technologies in the construction industry [29][30][31]. However, various causes, such as the culture, workforce, and system of the organization, act as a serious impediment to BIM application [32][33][34][35]. In particular, construction companies are reluctant to adopt a wide range of high-tech digital technologies due to their complexity, high risk, and conservatism.…”