Managerial perceptions of emerging technology adoption in construction: evidence from developing countries

Purpose This study aims to address the limited understanding of how emerging digital technologies reshape managerial functions and create adoption challenges in developing countries. It investigates the impact of four emerging technologies: artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, cloud computing and robotic process automation (RPA) on managers’ roles and the construction industry in developing countries. It captures the perspectives of managers from the construction and related sectors and examines the factors influencing their intentions to adopt these technologies. Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire was designed based on the technology–organization–environment framework and distributed to managers across 15 developing countries. The study is based on data obtained from 325 managerial respondents operating in construction and related fields. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS, following a two-step approach to assessing measurement and structural models. Findings Findings are collected from managers in the construction and related industry across 15 countries in the Middle East and Africa. Data analytics (68%) and AI (63%) are perceived as having the greatest impact on managerial roles, followed by cloud computing (53%) and RPA (46%). SEM analysis shows ease of use (ß = 0.331, p < 0.05) and perceived improvement in management practices (ß = 0.501, p < 0.05) as the strongest predictors of adoption intentions. Regulatory constraints have a statistically significant but moderate effect (ß = 0.298, p < 0.05), while relative advantages, financial incentives and competitive pressure are non-significant. Research limitations/implications These findings underscore the need for managers to develop competencies in AI, data analytics and cloud-based systems, and for the construction sector to invest in these technologies to remain competitive. Originality/value Given that emerging technologies are new and rapidly evolving, and considering the additional challenges faced in developing countries, investigating the current adoption status is important. Its added value lies in capturing managerial perceptions from diverse developing regions, providing cross-country insights rarely addressed in Construction 4.0 research, which has predominantly centered on technical outcomes within isolated national settings.