Perception of Prefabricated Construction in Developing Countries using Technology

Abstract

Construction's sectoral share of Pakistan's GDP has steadily increased over the last decade, from 2.42 percent to 2.58 percent, demonstrating its significant contribution to the country's economic development. Construction, on the other hand, is lagging other industries. One of Pakistan's most neglected industries is construction. Regulations, standards, mechanization, advanced technology, and a waste management plan are all missing from the industry. This necessitates identifying the significant driving factors as well as investigating the root causes of such deficiencies. Focusing on these factors will improve stakeholder behavioral intentions to use and adopt prefabricated construction, thereby improving the construction industry's overall performance. As a result, the current research aims to develop a model that will help researchers better understand the inter-relationships between constructs that are thought to play a significant role in prefabricated construction acceptance in the construction industry. The current study's specific objectives are to: identify the factors that influence prefabricated construction adoption; develop an adoption model based on the Technology Acceptance Model for prefabricated construction acceptance; and investigate the mediation relationships between factors that affect prefabricated construction acceptance. A set of constructs is included in the research model that are thought to influence the intention to adopt and use prefabricated construction. Prefabricated construction's perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, project resources, site management, project coordination, technological features, user trust, and satisfaction are among them. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 360 construction industry professionals with varying levels of experience for this study, which used a cross-sectional design. The interrelationships between the constructs of the proposed model were tested using structural equation modelling. Model variables' mediating effects on behavioral intention to use prefabricated construction were also investigated. This study's main contribution is an extended technology acceptance model based on external factors relevant to prefabrication construction, which identifies key predictors of prefabricated construction's perceived ease of use and usefulness. For researchers and academic practitioners, the findings of the study have significant theoretical and practical implications. There are a number of implications to the study. Firstly, it has identified key Prefabricated Construction influencing factors considering which respective stakeholders can prioritize their efforts to eliminate root causes hindering Prefabricated construction acceptance and usage. Second TAM developed and tested with high explanatory powers compared to other previously published models, making it a robust model suitable for testing in other contexts and cultures. Third, it proposes, tests, and validates 'trust' and ‘satisfaction' as new constructs that enhance intention to adopt and use prefabrication construction and act as a mediating variable in the model. Fourth, the research model for this study sheds light on the relationship between the proposed variables and the intention to use Prefabricated Construction, which has never been investigated or tested before in the Construction Industry. By identifying factors that influence Prefabricated Construction adoption and use, as well as providing a theoretical framework for future Construction Industry Prefabricated Construction research, the findings of this study may help construction organizations prepare for Prefabricated Construction adoption and use. The proposed model will be useful in predicting construction professionals' behavioral intentions to use prefabricated construction, as well as generating additional future research in other contexts and cultures with the goal of designing and adopting prefabricated construction technologies that are widely accepted throughout the construction industry.