Construction Sector Transformation: Developing a New Learning Paradigm

Architecture, Construction and Engineering (AEC) has historically reported low levels of productivity and performance, especially when compared with other sectors and industries such as automotive, aviation, manufacturing and ICT/telecoms. This is particularly concerning, given that this sector is a significant contributor to many countries Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Acknowledging this, and the fervent need to improve productivity as part of AEC’s digital transition to Industry 4.0 – the so-called Construction 4.0 - this paper explores some of contributory forces affecting this journey. One aspect of this transition is the examination of industrialisation, or indeed the level of technological sophistication applied to this sector, including the ‘success’ indicators used. A historical reflection on the industrialisation process is presented, including traditional industrialisation approaches from Late Industrialisation. Developing economies undergoing late industrialisation are seen as unique because they did not base their material development on inventions, but rather on the basis of learning – i.e., using ‘borrowed’ technology. From this literature, a qualitative [explorative] research approach was adopted based on the principles of Critical Realism. Findings from this were then applied to four focus groups with 23 industry professionals. Research findings highlighted that AEC was not industrialised per se, but simply modernised. Moreover, that access to modern techniques and technological sophistication were insufficient to support sector transformation through such conduits as industrialisation, knowledge management or indeed innovation. Findings also indicate the need to more purposefully align transformational thinking to socio-economic transition models, principally those underpinned by grounded learning paradigms aligned to key industrial policy institutions.