Prefabricated construction (PC) is regarded as an effective way to reduce carbon emissions in the construction sector and attracts increasing attention from academia and industry. However, the development trend of PC technology diffusion remains unclear, which is not conducive to improving the PC’s promotion. To address this issue, this study predicts the diffusion trend of PC technology considering multi-factor interaction and reveals its underlying mechanism. The significance of influencing factors of PC technology diffusion is explored through the empirical research method based on partial least squares-structural equation modelling. The diffusion trend of PC technology is then predicted using the system dynamics considering the interaction of those key factors. The results indicate that both perceived superiority and knowledge sharing have positive influences on PC technology diffusion, and they mediate the path from organizational climate to PC technology diffusion. Network embeddedness influences PC technology diffusion through knowledge sharing. Under the above-factors interaction, PC technology diffuses continuously until stability in the next 48 months, with a diffusion speed trend of first increasing and then decreasing. The diffusion prediction of PC technology under multi-factor coupling in this study fills up the gap in existing research. The conclusions are suggestive for promoting PC technology effectively.

Risks hinder the role of prefabricated construction (PC) in promoting construction automation. Although existing research has focused on risk management (RM) in PC, the lack of a global perspective has affected the effectiveness of RM. Accordingly, this paper adopts a scientometric analysis to review the knowledge domain of RM in PC. A total of 144 articles were selected from the Scopus database for journal citation analysis, document co-citation analysis, and keyword co-occurrence analysis. The results show that since 2011, the annual publications show an overall upward trend. International Journal of Construction Management, Journal of Building Engineering, and Buildings have been cited more frequently recently. PC research, RM research, environmental sustainability research, and ergonomic research provide a solid foundation for the research on RM in PC. Existing studies are conducted from five knowledge themes, namely, Supply chain and industry, Decision and optimization, Safety and health, Environment and overheating, and Investment and cost. Further, current research content, future research needs, and RM strategies for PC practices are discussed. This study helps stimulate further promising research and enhance the effectiveness of RM in PC in practice.

Prefabricated construction (PC) contributes to the sustainability of the construction sector, with higher levels of prefabrication providing better performance in theory. However, enterprises have great expectations for the performance of high prefabrication level technologies (HPLTs) but poor adoption behaviours in practice. To address this issue, this study explored the mechanisms of HPLTs adoption from the enterprise perspective, by complementing an integrated model that combines expectations and the fit between tasks and technologies, based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and the task-technology fit theory. The significance of paths affecting the adoption behaviour toward HPLTs was identified by the partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results show that adoption intention and task-technology fit are excellent predictors of adoption behaviour toward HPLTs. Social influence, facilitating conditions, task-technology fit, effort expectancy and task characteristics positively affect adoption intention, while performance expectancy is not found to influence adoption intention. The mediating effect analysis indicates that social influence currently has the largest indirect effect on adoption behaviour, followed by facilitating conditions and task-technology fit. The findings contribute to building a bridge between the expectations and adoption behaviours of HPLTs, and provide guidance for the effective promotion of HPLTs.

Purpose: Insufficient intra-organizational diffusion of prefabricated construction (PC) technology hinders its implementation benefits. More research on intra-organizational diffusion of PC technology is required to improve organizational performance in PC implementation. This study aims to explore the antecedents and consequence of intra-organizational diffusion of PC technology.Design/methodology/approach: This study established an antecedent and consequence model of intra-organizational diffusion of PC technology from the perspective of contingency theory. The model was empirically tested by 91 valid questionnaires using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).Findings: The results indicate that organizational support (OSU), organizational climate (OC) and mechanistic organizational structure (OST) positively influence intra-organizational diffusion of PC technology, which further positively influences organizational performance. The relationship between OC and intra-organizational diffusion of PC technology is mediated by OSU. Technological turbulence negatively moderates the relationship between OSU and intra-organizational diffusion.Originality/value: This is the first paper to study the antecedents and consequence of intra-organizational diffusion of PC technology and an expansion of contingency theory in the research field of PC technology. This study helps to theoretically stimulate future research on intra-organizational diffusion and practically promote intra-organizational diffusion of PC technology along with improving organizational performance in its implementation.

Prefabricated construction (PC) technology diffusion, as a key to promoting PC, has attracted increasing attention from academia and industry in recent years. The diffusion of PC technology mainly stems from the coupling effect of multiple influencing factors, especially the multi-agent synergy. This study is to explore the multi-dimensional influencing factors and their coupling paths for the diffusion of PC technology, from a multi-agent synergy perspective. First, six critical factors identified through literature review are divided into three dimensions. Further, fourteen theoretical hypotheses are proposed for the interactions of these factors and their impacts on the diffusion of PC technology, highlighting the role of multi-agent synergy. Then, an empirical research method based on partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and questionnaire survey data were used to reveal the relationship between the influencing factors and the coupling path of PC technology diffusion. The findings suggest that organization strength (with the highest influence) and technology cooperation have positive effects, while technology investment has a negative effect, on PC technology diffusion. Both market competition and industry development play indirect roles on PC technology diffusion via technology investment, without direct effects. Government intervention positively moderates the path from technology investment and organizational strength to PC technology diffusion, respectively, with the strongest moderating effect between government intervention and organization strength. This study contributes to scientifically planning the diffusion of PC technology.