The methods by which small firms overcome the disadvantages of their size to implement innovation on construction projects are examined here through five case studies. It is found that such methods include working with advanced clients, prioritising relationship-building strategies and using...

This original empirical research was conducted to explore the relationship between business strategies and innovation implementation by project-based firms. The relative importance of five types of business strategies was assessed, concerning: (1) employees, (2) marketing, (3) technology, (4)...

This empirical paper focuses on the need to provide practical guidance to project-based firms wishing to improve their innovation performance. The relationship between different types of business strategies and innovation outcomes was explored in the Australian construction industry, as an...

Purpose: The goal of this conceptual paper is to provide tools to help maximise the value delivered by infrastructure projects, by developing methods to increase adoption of innovative products during construction. Methods: The role of knowledge flows in determining innovation adoption rates is...

There is overwhelming evidence that innovation and knowledge intensity are key factors promoting growth in modern economies. Since the early 1990s, OECD analysts have focused increasingly on the growing knowledge intensity of modern economies and the strong links between knowledge intensity and...

This paper examines ‘imitative’ innovation, which involves the adoption of innovations that are new to a particular business, rather than new to the world. The paper is based on a survey of over 200 participants in the Australian road industry, in the state of Queensland. The survey covered...

This paper is based on empirical data obtained from a large scale survey of the Queensland road industry in 2002. The survey focused on innovation activity in the industry and this paper examines a key part of that study – knowledge flows. This focus responds to the rapidly increasing...

This paper focuses on the factors that drive innovation activity by businesses. A survey of over 200 businesses in the Queensland road and bridge industry was undertaken in 2002 and respondents were asked to rate the importance of key elements of business strategy to business success and to...

The literature emphasises the role of innovation in driving economic growth. It is also generally understood by academics and practitioners that the types of strategies adopted by a firm play a key role in determining innovation levels and firm profitability. The research examines this...

In recent years there has been considerable activity, by business analysts and academics, in developing new approaches to understanding contemporary innovation processes. This has resulted in the emergence of a large number of conceptual alternatives, with many overlapping features. It is the...