Factors Influencing the Adoption of Disruptive Construction Procurement Models in State Universities

Abstract

Construction procurement models determine how projects are executed. For a long period, the design-bid-build model dominated government institutions and departments. However, the model proved inefficient in most situations within Zimbabwean state universities, resulting in the emergence of disruptive models such as design-bid, direct labor, labor only, and Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). Even so, as disruptive models gain traction, there is a scarcity of literature which identifies the factors that influenced their adoption. For that reason, this study explored the factors that influenced the selection of disruptive models in state universities. Premised on the interpretivism paradigm, the study employed a multi-case study approach. A purposive sample of five state universities was drawn constituting a total of 15 key informants. These informants were interviewed via online platform. The study findings show that most state universities had fully migrated to disruptive models. Furthermore, client expectations, financial, technological, social, and legal factors were influential in the selection of disruptive construction procurement models. It means that, in addition to the project quadruple parameters (cost, time, scope, and quality), state universities considered external factors. The study recommends that the government continue to support the state universities whereas on the other hand, the lagging universities are urged to explore adopting innovative disruptive models.