Modeling the international technology transfer process in construction projects: evidence from Thailand

Abstract

Many developing and newly industrialized countries lack the technical and management capabilities to undertake large and/or complex infrastructure projects. In an effort to more rapidly develop their infrastructure, economies and living standards, many have embarked on a series of international Technology Transfer (TT) initiatives within the construction and other industries. However, these initiatives have not immediately translated into enhanced capabilities and competitiveness within host country firms, resulting in a sustained reliance on foreign firms. In an attempt to improve rates of TT in developing countries, this article proposes a conceptual model for international TT that accommodates the numerous factors believed to impact on the processes effectiveness and derived outcomes. Utilizing the results from a questionnaire survey of 162 industry professionals from Thailand, an international TT model including the significant factors which impact on the TT process and the degree of value added from it, was formulated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Moreover, the significance of direct and indirect interrelationships between model factors was determined through structural equation modeling. This model included four process enablers, namely, government influence, transferee characteristics, transferor characteristics and relationship building, and one outcome factor named TT value added. Building relationships (i.e. trust, understanding and communication) between the transferor and transferee was determined to be the key predictor of TT-induced value creation for the host construction sector.

The Effect of Technology Transfer Factors on Performance: An Empirical Study of Libyan Petroleum Industry

“…Wang, Tong et al [8] based on two enablers that is knowledge and the parent organization effect but fails to examine important factors such as government role and complexity of technology. Finally, the modeling of Waroonkun and Stewart [9] which was statistically verified has identified most of the influential factors and the model overall is easy to adopt to any other industry TT process. Nevertheless, it was designed for construction industry and may not be accurate to other industries.…”

“…Studies conducted by Benedetto et al [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] were explored; examined and critically reviewed. However, the studies explored in the literature mostly are experimental studies that give an insight to the TT concept.…”

A review of inter-firm technology transfer through the lens of the Resource-Based View

“…1. Link between factors affecting technology transfer performance, organizational learning and firm's competitive advantages (adapted from Malik [17], Bakar [25] and Waroonkun & Stewart [26]). …”

“…When assessing factors that correlate with technology transfer performance, the literature generally refers to four domains: the internal factors of the transferee [25][26], the transferor characteristics, the transfer and learning environmental factors [26]. However, there are facilitators and barriers that affect the technology transfers performance as well.…”

Transferring intermediate technologies to rural enterprises in developing economies: a conceptual framework

“…The majority, however, concerns the transfer of proven production technology to facilitate lower cost manufacturing (Waroonkun and Stewart, 2008;Thumanoon and Paul, 2006). More recently, the research field has broadened to embrace technology transfers from universities to industry that comprise a wider scope of technologies including new and still unproven solutions (Alessandrini et al, 2013).…”