It’s fine, just as it is

Together with Henrik Linderoth, I just got another paper accepted into Construction Management and Economics. The title is of the paper is, “User perceptions of ICT impacts in Swedish construction companies: ‘it’s fine, just as it is’” and it is based on a survey we have done in 612 Swedish construction companies. If you want to download the full paper you can find it here.

To cite the paper: Jacobsson, Mattias and Linderoth, C.J. Henrik (2012), “User Perceptions of ICT Impacts in Swedish Construction Companies: ‘It’s Fine, Just as it is’”, Construction Management and Economics,Vol. 30, No. 5, pp. 339-357.

Abstract

The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in construction companies has been growing steadily during the last decade. However, few studies inquire into either perceptions of the impact of actual ICT use or perceptions among different occupational groups in construction companies. The aim of the paper is to explore users’ general perceptions of ICT impacts in the post-adoption stage and analyse the implications for construction management practice. A mixed methods approach was used. Quantitative data were collected using a web-based survey both in a major construction company and among medium-sized companies in Sweden. Data from 294 returned completed questionnaires were analysed with t-tests and multiple regression analysis. In addition, participant observations and semi-structured interviews were con- ducted within the major construction company in order to strengthen the analysis. It can be concluded that respondents are generally fairly satisfied with the ICT. Differences in perceptions among occupational groups can be explained by the nature of work tasks and the original intentions for using ICT as a means of control and calculation. Even if respondents perceive that a further development of ICT could improve com- petitiveness, they do not want to increase their use of it in their workplaces. They basically think that ‘it is fine, just as it is’. This indicates that a challenge in construction management is to investigate how prevailing and new ICT applications can be used to develop the industry.

Keywords: Information systems, occupational groups, post-adoption, surveys, user satisfaction.