Study on the influencing factors of digital transformation of construction enterprises from the perspective of dual effects—a hybrid approach based on PLS-SEM and fsQCA

Zhang, G., Wang, T., Wang, Y., Zhang, S., Lin, W., Dou, Z. and Du, H. (2023) Study on the influencing factors of digital transformation of construction enterprises from the perspective of dual effects—a hybrid approach based on PLS-SEM and fsQCA. Sustainability, 15(7), 6317. (doi: 10.3390/su15076317)

Abstract

The digital transformation of Chinese construction enterprises is crucial for achieving sustainable and high-quality development in the construction industry. However, there is still a lack of in-depth research on the impact mechanism of digital transformation in construction enterprises. The purpose of this study is to explore the multiple influencing factors and complex causal relationships of digital transformation in construction enterprises and promote the deep integration of digitalization and construction enterprises. To this end, based on the dual-effect perspective (net effect perspective of a single influencing factor and configuration effect perspective of multiple influencing factors), using the “technology–organization–environment” framework (TOE framework) to construct a research model of influencing factors for digital transformation in construction enterprises. A sample of 236 construction enterprise managers was surveyed, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) methods were used to empirically analyze the dual effects of influencing factors for digital transformation in construction enterprises. The results show that: (1) from the net effect perspective, there are seven factors that significantly impact digital transformation in construction enterprises; (2) from the configuration effect perspective, there are three paths that can achieve high-level digital transformation in construction enterprises, and one path that leads to low-level digital transformation; (3) from the dual-effect perspective, top management support and policy support are key factors for digital transformation in Chinese construction enterprises. The research results enrich the relevant research on digital transformation in construction enterprises and provide a reference basis for promoting digital transformation in construction enterprises.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This research was funded by the Special Fund for Science and Technology Innovation Strategy of Guangdong Province under grant number pdjh2021b0405.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Du, Haitao
• Authors: Zhang, G., Wang, T., Wang, Y., Zhang, S., Lin, W., Dou, Z., and Du, H.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
• Journal Name: Sustainability
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2071-1050
• ISSN (Online): 2071-1050
• Published Online: 06 April 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Sustainability 15(7): 6317
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License