Merging academic research and industry development requirements for an innovative construction management practice

Abstract

This study advances the knowledge in the field of research based innovations, in terms of prerequisites, specific to construction management context. Previously, the enhanced role of academic research in realising innovations through various reciprocals among universities, regulatory bodies, and industries was presented via Triple Helix Model (THM). Successively, the model has been explored to a great extent concerning many economic sectors. In parallel, developing knowledge based construction economies has become a mainstream theory in response to the lack of research activities within the construction organisations. Consequently, a paradigm-shift in the field of built environment research has been called over the last three decades. Yet, construction management indicates weak signs of research-based innovative development, confirming non-presence of the critical requirements of THM operation. However, no study so far has investigated on such requirements, creating a knowledge gap in explaining the inability of academic research fostering construction management innovations. Hence, this research aimed to investigate the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) of merging academic research with industry development requirements to cultivate an innovative construction management practice. Accordingly, a compressive literature review uncovered theoretical explanations on research problem, forming the conceptual framework for the study. Refining the framework, a field study was conducted, combining inductive and deductive approaches informed by a pragmatist philosophical stance. Research objectives posed, four (04) Research Questions (RQs) with explanatory and exploratory purposes, and therefore, were answered through a mixed method. The perspectives of academia and construction industry of Sri Lanka were initially obtained through surveys. Academic census comprised 49 units and industry survey obtained the views of organisations and practitioners separately, with a 510 unit stratified sample. The findings of the surveys were inductively explored in front of critical cases from industry, and academia through case studies and expert opinions. Quantitative data were analysed statistically, whilst content analysis was performed with qualitative data. The findings were validated externally through opinions of three (03) high-profile experts, each engaged in all three (03) disciplines, academic, industry, and industry regulation. While each RQ were answered in detail, overall, the findings confirmed the significance of academic research in cultivating an innovative management practice. Yet, the study revealed poor knowledge dissemination and utilisation in the context. Due to poor industry orientation of academic research, and construction industry operating as a Red Ocean, with inherited characteristics of price based competition, leads to a lack of research collaborations. In bridging the gap, the ultimately developed Model of CSFs for Research Driven Innovations (MRI) for construction management' reveals the CSFs of creating knowledge, consensus, and innovation spaces, with reference to actionable stakeholders. MRI defines the role of academia, regulatory bodies, and construction industry as novelty producers, legislative controllers, and wealth generators, respectively. The paired interactions among the three (03) contenders generate the knowledge infrastructure and political economy for the creation of the consensus space. The consensus space urges establishment of a Knowledge Brokering Hub (KBH) to administer strategic research partnerships between the academia and the industry. Therefore, given that, the knowledge space and consensus spaces are created, an academic research righteously initiated inside the innovation space, executed properly, and disseminated strategically, has the potential to foster innovations in construction management.