Social network analysis for identifying the significant drivers of off-site construction adoption in Egypt

Purpose

Rapid urbanization and the shortcomings of traditional construction methods motivate construction professionals to explore faster and more sustainable approaches such as off-site construction (OSC). Thus, the purpose of this paper is to identify the drivers influencing OSC adoption and to explore the key drivers of its widespread adoption in Egypt.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive global literature review was performed initially to develop an up-to-date list of OSC adoption drivers, which was confirmed in the Egyptian context through a pilot study. Then, social network analysis (SNA) was utilized to determine the most influential drivers as well as shortlist them to construct the final questionnaire survey. A total of 57 stakeholders in the Egyptian construction industry responded. Lastly, the relative importance index (RII) was calculated to rank the drivers, revealing the key drivers.

Findings

The results revealed that higher productivity, improving project quality control, shortening construction time, improving product quality and improving supervision and inspection are the top five drivers. On the contrary, government policies and regulations is the least significant driver.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the body of knowledge by introducing a comprehensive, up-to-date list of drivers, which helps the stakeholders gain a better understanding of the driving enablers of adopting OSC generally and helps Egyptian stakeholders make more informed decisions about ist implementation specifically.