Pathways for next adopters to adopt industrialised timber construction in Dutch practice: a contractors perspective
J. van Leeuwen (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
P.W. Chan – Mentor (TU Delft - Design & Construction Management)
E. Mlecnik – Mentor (TU Delft - Real Estate Management)
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Abstract
Recently, there has been growing concerns about CO2-emissions, labour dynamics and demand volumes in the Dutch construction industry and industrialised timber constructions have the potential to help solve parts of these challenges. However, relatively little is known about how to identify pathways to adopt industrialised timber construction in practice, especially from the viewpoint of next adopters. Therefore, this study addresses the question of what are pathways for next adopters to adopt industrialised timber construction in Dutch practice? To find an answer to this question a combination of literature review and interviews will be used. The interviews will be of exploratory nature and conducted within firms that are planning on adopting industrialised timber construction in the near future or are in the middle of this process. The goal of this research is to develop pathways for next adopters to adopt industrialised timber construction in Dutch practice. Besides just the final thesis report itself, deliverables contain amongst others a coherent literature review on the used constructs, an interview protocol, the results of analysing the data and the outcomes of the verification by the interviewees and the focus group.
From the data analysis in this research, 8 aggregate dimensions can be identified that prove to be critical in the process of adopting industrialised timber construction. These dimensions are (1) identifying next adopters, (2) context of adopting, (3) role of network/partners in the adoption process, (4) learning processes, (5) challenges when adopting, (6) risk management, (7) critical success factors and finally, (8) advantages when adopting. Also, most striking findings from the interviews are pointed out. Thereby, much of the analysed data corresponds with findings from previous studies. For each of the case studies, their pathway of adopting is described using the above 8 dimensions. These pathways also have a relation to time and are based upon 5 stages in the innovation adoption process which are defined in previous studies and theories. These stages are: attitude, persuasion, decision, implementation and confirmation.
Between the different case studies, differences and similarities are described. As a result, 3 different pathways are identified and presented in this research. The three pathways differ per aggregate dimension, but also in timeframe and emphasis per stage.
The three different stories of the cases in this study show that the adoption process can not always be framed in the same linear steps that have been found in literature. Therefore, this research introduces the ‘Cycle of innovation adoption in industrialised timber construction’ model. In this model, the typical steps in the innovation adoption process are recognized, but they are placed in a circle and supplemented with the 8 aggregate dimensions found in the data analysis. These 8 dimensions show the different phases in which organisations can ‘jump on’ or ‘jump off’ the innovation adoption process.