A Mathematical Analysis of 4IR Innovation Barriers in Developmental Social Work-A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) era also known as digital age is central to the advancement of the construction industry as the industry is currently facing a myriad of challenges, including poor productivity and project failure. Therefore, there is an urgent need for industry to adopt 4IR innovations to increase the building business's performance. The study explored the relationship between the critical barriers to 4IR innovations to foster sustainable development. The study embraced a numerical exploration approach which employed a questionnaire to obtain information from building industry experts. The questionnaire data were used to classify the 4IR barriers into policy and structure, readiness, and acquisition, using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Likewise, a predictive model was developed using Structural Equation Modelling-Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS). It explained the relationship between the barrier categories and the barriers to 4IR innovation adoption for sustainable development. The results showed that policy and structure were critical components of 4IR adoption that the stakeholders of the construction industry must pay close attention to. The study also provided valuable areas for future research to enhance 4IR innovation adoption for sustainable development.

Automated summary

The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) era, also known as the digital age, is crucial for the advancement of the construction industry, which currently faces challenges such as low productivity and project failure. Therefore, it is necessary for the industry to adopt 4IR innovations to improve the performance of the building business. This study investigated the relationship between the critical barriers to 4IR innovations and sustainable development. Through a numerical exploration approach using a questionnaire, data from building industry experts were analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to classify the barriers into policy and structure, readiness, and acquisition. A predictive model was developed using Structural Equation Modelling-Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) to explain the relationship between the barrier categories and the barriers to 4IR innovation adoption for sustainable development. The results highlighted the importance of policy and structure in the adoption of 4IR in the construction industry and provided insights for future research to enhance 4IR innovation adoption for sustainable development.