Environmentally driven technical innovation by Australian construction SMEs

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.