Understanding Construction Technology Transfer from a 'SCOT' Perspective [chapter]

K. Oti-Sarpong, R. Leiringer
2017 Proceedings of the 21st International Symposium on Advancement of Construction Management and Real Estate  
Technology transfer (TT) has been given increasing importance since the formulation of the international code of conduct for technology transfer by the UNCTAD in 1985, and has become a preferred medium to bridge development gaps between developed and developing countries. Concomitantly, international joint ventures (IJVs) have been put forward as vehicles for change in the belief that contractors in developing countries can position themselves to receive technology from their developed
more » ... rts. So far, TT has been studied through a variety of theoretical lenses. However, predominantly, the perspectives taken have assumed a linear process, viewing technology merely as an object, and effectively disregarding the multiple interactions involved in TT. In this paper, we argue that such perspectives only provide partial explanations of what construction technology entails, and how it is transferred between organisations. A counter-argument is put forward to view TT as a process of socio-technical interactions that is reliant on learning. Adopting the theoretical lens of the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT), we show how the SCOT framework allows for examining the socio-technical interactions between human actors and construction technology in TT. Specifically, we use the SCOT constructs of 'interpretative flexibility' and, 'closure and stabilisation' to reveal how learning is an integral process within the socio-technical interactions, which plays a critical role in TT between contractors in IJVs. Conclusions are drawn, highlighting the importance of studying TT as a system of socio-technical interactions on a construction project, in order to understand how learning plays a role in the process.
doi:10.1007/978-981-10-6190-5_133 fatcat:ifevh7jzazbbbglqlo3hwtotyu