AbstractsBusiness Management & Administration

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Shifting from conventional construction to Industrialised Building Technology (IBS) aims to increase productivity and quality, decrease labour shortages and improve working conditions. Policy approaches have thus concentrated on providing tailored information to encourage IBS technology adoption and to assist IBS decision-making. This research addresses the gap in the understanding of decision-making as a phenomenon in the context of IBS technology adoption, using a qualitative exploratory approach underpinned by an interpretative phenomenological paradigm. It specifically focuses on developing an understanding of how emerging contextual factors (e.g. government policy), structural factors (e.g. project organisation and management factors) and behavioural factors (e.g. human-related matters) influence IBS decision-making. The role decision makers play in the adoption of IBS technology is increasingly gaining attention, particularly in the context of the pace at which this technology is implemented in the construction industry. In this context, a holistic conceptual framework is constructed and it is analysed through a qualitative multiple- perspective approach encompassing inter-project and intra-project perspectives in the Malaysian construction industry. The inter-project perspective is explored through semi-structured face-to-face interviews with a group of construction-profession stakeholders. The intra-project perspective is explored through three case studies each composing of a group of supplychain members in IBS building projects with relevant archival data. It was found that structural, contextual and behavioural factors impacted on IBS decision-making in a hierarchical way according to the degree of influence of each factor, with structural factors being the most relevant and dominant. This research also highlighted the important implications of structural, contextual and behavioural factors for IBS decision-making and discovered that although construction profession stakeholders and the supply-chain members of IBS projects identified similar factors as influencing IBS decision-making, they perceived the importance of these factors differently. From the findings, this research has generated a major IBS decision making model with facets or manifestations of the same basic model as it is essential to recognise the complex range of factors associated with IBS decision-making. This research provides insight into the decision-making of IBS technology in building projects as a means to shift from conventional building methods to a modern building technology which can lead to sustainable construction practice. Hence, by identifying influencing factors on IBS decision-making in construction, supports could be made in terms of better understanding and facilitating, where relevant, the greater use of IBS technology in the construction industry so as to ensure sustainability. Finally, contributions to the literature and research methodology, besides research…