Environmentally driven technical innovation by Australian construction SMEs
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether technical innovations by construction industry small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with an environmental focus, require any specific circumstances for successful marketplace delivery.
Design/methodology/approach
A value tree of significant factors was developed from a literature review. This was tested by a survey of established technical innovators within SMEs in the area of Sydney and environs, using analytic hierarchy process methodology.
Findings
The regulatory environment was demonstrated to be much more important to environmental innovators than to others. Conversely the influence of clients and end users was less significant for the environmentally focused innovators.
Research limitations/implications
The sample size was necessarily small because the subjects were all peer recognised technical innovators. Analysis of variance was used to identify significant differences between environmentally focused and other innovations among the survey respondents.
Social implications
Performance-based standards were seen to be significant enablers for environmentally focused innovation delivery. A degree of flexibility in building regulations may be crucial to innovation delivery by SMEs.
Originality/value
The paper stresses the importance for regulators of reaching an understanding of the restrictions that prescriptive standards may put of those seeking to improve the environmental performance of the construction industry.
Keywords
Citation
Hardie, M., Allen, J. and Newell, G. (2013), "Environmentally driven technical innovation by Australian construction SMEs", Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, Vol. 2 No. 2, pp. 179-191. https://doi.org/10.1108/SASBE-01-2013-0003
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited