Digital Innovation and Organizational Change in Design Practice

Abstract

The real estate and construction industry is among the largest industries in the world. It also is one of the most fragmented industries, with few economies of scale and historically low productivity. Recent technological advances in the use of information and communication technology have the potential for dramatically improving construction productivity. But substantial organizational barriers exist that inhibit the effective adoption of these technologies. This research project (in progress) examines the practices of selected, innovative firms in order to develop an in-depth understanding of the factors that have influenced the effective adoption of information and communications technology in the design and construction industry, and, potentially, provide examples that may provide prototype models for an alternative, future organization of the AEC industry.