Publication Type

PhD Dissertation

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

11-2025

Abstract

The construction industry plays a pivotal role in national economic development, yet it faces significant challenges, including inefficiencies, limited informatization, and fragmented management. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has emerged as a transformative digital technology, offering the potential to revolutionize construction enterprises by enhancing collaboration, reducing costs, and improving project lifecycle management. Despite increasing government support and global advancements, BIM adoption in China, particularly during the construction phase, remains inconsistent and insufficiently explored. This dissertation adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative research. The qualitative component, through interviews, identifies the primary barriers to BIM adoption during the construction phase, such as skill shortages, workflow misalignments, and unequal benefit distribution. Building on these insights and integrating theoretical frameworks, the quantitative component develops a research model. A structured questionnaire was designed and administered to 264 respondents from various enterprise types and qualifications, testing the research hypotheses and performing mediation effect analyses. Of the 21 hypotheses proposed, 16 were supported. The findings reveal that Relative Advantage (RA) and Organizational Readiness (OR) significantlyenhance both Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), which, in turn, influence Behavioral Intention (BI). While Government Policies and Regulations (GPR) have a positive effect on PU, they do not directly influence BI, highlighting a gap between policy intentions and actual practices. Competitive Pressure (CP) directly stimulates BI without impacting PU, emphasizing its role as an independent motivator. Importantly, Conflict of Interest (COI) has a significantly negative impact on BI, underscoring the necessity of aligning stakeholder interests. This dissertation advances technology adoption theory by integrating TAM, TOE, and DOI into a construction industry-specific framework, incorporating factors such as COI that reflect the unique economic and market dynamics of BIM adoption. It also provides practical recommendations for enterprises, governments, and industry organizations to enhance BIM system usability, align incentives, and optimize benefit-sharing mechanisms. These measures will contribute to accelerating BIM adoption and maximizing its value. The insights derived are also applicable to other sectors, such as finance, healthcare, and supply chain management, where digital transformation increases transparency but poses challenges to traditional benefit structures.

Keywords

Building Information Modeling (BIM), Technology Adoption, Construction Enterprises, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) Framework, Diffusion of Innovations (DOI), Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Organizational Readiness, Government Policies and Regulations, CompetitivePressure, Conflict of Interest, Construction Phase, Digital Transformation

Degree Awarded

SMU-SJTU Doctor of Business Administration

Discipline

Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Technology and Innovation

Supervisor(s)

MA, Dan

First Page

1

Last Page

131

Publisher

Singapore Management University

City or Country

Singapore

Copyright Owner and License

Author

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