Drivers of Professional Service Model Innovation in the Chinese Construction Industry

Abstract

Professional service in China is facing challenges due to the rapidly changing built environment. The environment forces the construction industry to reconsider professional service model for thriving, while the life cycle professional service model has significant implications for value addition in professional system. However, literature that provides quantifiable information for practitioners and researchers to better understand drivers of professional service model innovation (PSMI) is scarce. Based on innovation diffusion literature and institutional theory, this study examines how PSMI is influenced by institutional pressures (including coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures) in the construction industry. The researchers conducted an industry-wide survey in China using structural equation modeling to analyze the acquired data. Data analyzing demonstrates that both coercive and mimetic pressures prominently influence the life cycle of PSMI. However, this study reveals that normative pressure does not significantly influence PSMI. Results indicate that the owner’s cognition plays an important mediating role between institutional pressures and PSMI. The findings contribute to understanding how different types of institutional pressures can be better steered to facilitate PSMI in the construction industry and furthering knowledge on PSMI mechanisms for new professionalism cultivation in the industry to realize sustainable development of professional system.

The moderating effect of industry clockspeed on Lean Manufacturing implementation in Zimbabwe

“…Mimetic pressures describe how organizations copy their competitors in order to outperform them (Gupta et al , 2019; Cavusoglu et al , 2015). Organizations may copy the structures of the competitors in order to improve their performance (Fang et al , 2019). The coercive pressures can be defined as pressures that are exerted by other bodies in order for organizations to satisfy regulations (Fang et al , 2019).…”

“…Organizations may copy the structures of the competitors in order to improve their performance (Fang et al , 2019). The coercive pressures can be defined as pressures that are exerted by other bodies in order for organizations to satisfy regulations (Fang et al , 2019). Organizations are forced to comply with regulations for them to continue operating and these regulations may act as a basis for formation of associations with other organizations (Iyer, 2019).…”

Rejuvenating the Market for Earth-Based Building Construction Materials in a Developing Economy

“…Electronic questionnaires in Google Forms increase the speed of data collection from a wider audience and are an equally economical means of reaching difficult-to-reach audiences. The online questionnaire distribution method (i.e., Google Form) is easy to get to a lot of people that are separated by considerable physical distance [62,63]. The electronic questionnaire is "eco-friendly" as the hardcopy paper questionnaire is avoided [64].…”