Impacts of task interdependence and equivocality on ICT adoption in the construction industry: a task-technology fit view

Although information and communication technologies (ICTs) are broadly acknowledged as a critical source of competitive advantage in the construction practice, the investment in ICTs in no ways guarantees effective technology adoption and implementation. Based on the Task-Technology Tit (TTF) view, successful adoption of ICT depends on that ICTs fit with the tasks they support and people who use them. Users with different tasks respond to technologies differently. Hence, this paper aims to investigate the linkage among task characteristics (task interdependence and equivocality), personal characteristics, TTF, and users' intention to adopt ICTs. Based on the Structural Equation Model analysis of 205 questionnaires and additional interviews from the construction industry, the findings show that the fit between ICTs and users' tasks contributes positively to ICT adoption; individuals with interdependent and equivocal tasks are more likely to favour ICT adoption; users' educational levels moderate the relationship between task equivocality and ICT adoption. This research extends the TTF view by considering both task and personal characteristics in the technology adoption domain and provides implications for users, managers and software developers to achieve better fit between ICTs, tasks and people.