https://doi.org/10.24928/2019/0257
Diffusion of Lean Construction in Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises of Housing Sector
Mani Poshdar1, Vicente A. Gonzalez2, Ricardo Antunes3, Nariman Ghodrati4, Milad Katebi5, Stanislau Valasiuk6, Hamzah Alqudah7 & Saeed Talebi8
1Lecturer, Built Envir. Engrg. Dept., Auckland Univ. of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand, [email protected]2Senior Lecturer, Civil and Envir. Engrg. Dept., Univ. of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand, [email protected]
3Civil and Envir. Engrg. Dept., Univ. of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand, [email protected]
4Lecturer, Built Envir. Engrg. Dept., Auckland Univ. of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand, [email protected]
5PhD student, Built Envir. Engrg. Dept., Auckland Univ. of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand, [email protected]
6Built Envir. Engrg. Dept., Auckland Univ. of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand, [email protected]
7PhD candidate, Built Envir. Engrg. Dept., Auckland Univ. of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand, [email protected]
8Lecturer, School of Art, Design and Architecture, Univ. of Huddersfield, UK, [email protected]
Abstract
The construction sector is known for its deficient productivity level compared to other sectors such as manufacturing. Lean approach, however, presents a promising option given its proven ability to improve the performance in other sectors. This study investigates the diffusion level of lean construction among the small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) by conducting a telephone survey in the Auckland region of New Zealand. The survey involved 100 enterprises active in the housing sector. The results indicated the rate of diffusion at three stages of a simplified innovation diffusion model including the knowledge exposure, decision analysis and implementation. The results are attributed to three main elements including the characteristics of SMEs as social units, the time required to attract adopters, and the level and type of communication must be used to reach the potential adopters. The study identified five main questions on the enablers and barriers of diffusion of lean construction to be addressed in future research.
Keywords
Benefits realization, action learning/research, trust, diffusion, SMEs in housing
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Reference
Poshdar, M. , Gonzalez, V. A. , Antunes, R. , Ghodrati, N. , Katebi, M. , Valasiuk, S. , Alqudah, H. & Talebi, S. 2019. Diffusion of Lean Construction in Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises of Housing Sector , Proc. 27th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) , 383-392. doi.org/10.24928/2019/0257
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