Innovation orientation in architectural firms
Abstract
Purpose
Innovation is defined as the creation and adoption of changes that are new to an organisation or industry. The high probability of failure and the lack of innovation in the construction industry have highlighted the importance of innovation (both creation and adoption) as a business orientation. Although they are related to the construction industry, architectural firms receive little attention from an innovation perspective despite being perceived as important drivers of innovation. Thus, this paper aims to examine the distinctive characteristics of various innovation orientations and determine the state of innovation among architectural firms.
Design/methodology/approach
A postal survey was sent to 1,004 registered architectural firms in Malaysia. The data were processed using descriptive analysis. A factor analysis was conducted to categorise innovation creation and adoption, and a paired samples t-test was performed to examine the innovation orientations of architectural firms.
Findings
Innovation creation and innovation adoption are two distinct orientations with different characteristics. Architectural firms in Malaysia are oriented towards innovation creation, which intersects with innovation adoption.
Research limitations/implications
This study used a questionnaire survey that generated only statistical results. Future research should conduct interviews or focus group discussions to obtain comprehensive findings.
Practical implications
The innovation concept is expanded in terms of its orientations.
Originality/value
This study illustrates significant differences between innovation creation and innovation adoption in the architectural firms of a developing country, i.e. Malaysia.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The study was supported by the Universiti Sains Malaysia under Research University Grant Scheme (Grant Number 1,001.PPBGN.816284) and MyBrain15 (MyPhd) Scholarship [Reference Number KPT(B) 840122125795].
Citation
Lai, K.S., Yusof, N. and Kamal, E.M. (2016), "Innovation orientation in architectural firms", Construction Innovation, Vol. 16 No. 4, pp. 425-445. https://doi.org/10.1108/CI-05-2015-0030
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited