PROPOSAL

Engineering Management in technological Innovation

[Name of the Institute]

Abstract

This paper conceptualises the development of an Innovation Diffusion Readiness (IDR) framework used for monitoring innovation diffusion maturity levels within the Architectural and Engineering Design (AED) firm context. To achieve this, a survey was conducted with a number of Australian AED firms, using a validated survey instrument developed elsewhere. The key findings based on the study sample of 158 professionals representing 44 AED firms showed that the overall level of IDR among the sampled firms was moderate to high. Using Cluster Analysis, three main clusters of these firms that shared common IDR patterns were uncovered: Very High, High and Moderate IDR. Further analysis indicated that clusters with higher IDR appeared to perform significantly better in diffusing innovative design practices (i.e. value-based innovations). This finding highlighted that firms shifting to a higher IDR cluster could achieve a significant improvement in the diffusion of this type of innovation. The paper also provided a number of recommendations for future research to further improve the assessment of IDR within AED firms

Abstract2

Introduction4

Aims and Objectives6

Literature Review6

Innovation diffusion from the socio-psychological perspective6

Organisation readiness for innovation diffusion8

Research methodology9

Measures9

Sample13

Time Frame13

Expected Outcomes15

References17

Engineering Management in technological Innovation

Introduction

Innovation plays a key role in leveraging the competitiveness of firms within the construction industry, in particular, architectural and engineering design (AED) firms. According to Torbett, design is essentially a combination of creativity, intellectual content, technical possibilities and market demand. Design is also a complex social activity, thus conceiving innovative design solutions requires a great deal of collaboration and communication among participating members. A case study of a large British engineering organisation conducted by Salter et al. (2002) revealed that most of the ideas for design innovations came from a combination of personal interactions between designers and the use of advanced information and communication technology (ICT) tools.

This finding can be associated with the notion that design knowledge is often embedded in individuals and organisational processeS. Therefore, AED firms that have the ability to encourage creativity among individual designers and harness innovative ideas from them, as well as the ability to adopt appropriate systems and tools to help diffuse such ideas, are more likely to achieve innovative design outcomes. According to Panuwatwanich et al (1988), such abilities can be understood through examining the socio-psychological aspect of innovation diffusion. This approach suggests that successful and effective diffusion of innovation is dependent upon the internal environment (structure, policy, culture, resources, etc.) of the firms, which must be such that it is conducive to innovation diffusion. Firms need to examine such factors to determine if they are ready, as forcing innovations can be counterproductive.

Researchers within the field of architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) have widely highlighted the significance of organisation readiness, which is considered as one of the key factors critical to effective implementation and diffusion of various types of innovations. For example, Kamara et al. (2010) emphasise the importance of assessing organisation readiness to pinpoint 'resistors' and 'enablers' that would influence the successful implementation of knowledge management within AEC ...