Purpose: Regional digital and green (twin) transitions are widely regarded as key pathways for promoting the green and low-carbon transition and sustainable development of the construction industry. To fully reveal the mechanisms through which the interaction between different regional digitalization (RD) and green innovation (GI) affects carbon intensity in the construction industry (CICI) at the inter-regional level network, it is essential to explore the carbon reduction effects of the spatial correlation network (RDGIS) formed by their coupling coordination. Design/methodology/approach: The study utilized panel data from 30 provincial-level regions in China from 2011 to 2021. Coupling coordination models, a modified gravity model, social network analysis and econometric models were employed to thoroughly investigate the impact of the spatial correlation network on carbon emission reduction in the construction industry. Findings: The results show that CICI decreases with the development of RD, GI and their coupling coordination, indicating a synergistic effect despite spatial heterogeneity. This finding is confirmed by the spatial correlation characteristics of RDGIS. Regions with high centrality in RDGIS reduce CICI in other areas through “network spillover effects” and lower energy intensity. However, entrenched carbon emission path dependencies cause “structural asymmetry,” delaying the industry’s integration into regional twin transitions and hindering carbon reduction efforts. Originality/value: This study reveals the synergistic effects of cross-regional digitalization and green innovation on carbon reduction in the construction industry, broadening the research perspective and enhancing the adaptability of cross-regional carbon reduction policies.

In engineering construction, civil engineers (CEs) face the ethical dilemma of balancing loyalty to their employers with prioritising public welfare. This dilemma becomes even more complex in the Chinese context due to the frequent imbalance between engineers' decision making authority and ethical responsibilities. Therefore, it is necessary to study the factors influencing the ethical behaviour (EB) of CEs in the Chinese context. In this work, data were collected from Chinese CEs through a questionnaire survey and the theory of planned behaviour was extended by incorporating the external contextual factors of ethical atmosphere (EA) and ethical decision makers (EDMs). Various hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling, mediation effect analysis and hierarchical regression models. The results showed that the β values of attitude towards behaviour, subjective norms (SN), perceived behavioural control and ethical behaviour intention (EBI) were all positive. It was found that EBI has the greatest impact on ethical behaviour (EB), followed by SN. EA and EDMs positively moderate the process of translating the EBIs of CEs into EB.

Construction industries worldwide face persistent challenges of ethical misconduct, contractual violations, and regulatory noncompliance, imposing substantial legal liabilities and undermining sustainable development. Although legal frameworks exist to govern owner behavior, their dynamic enforcement effects and interactions with market-driven compliance mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study pioneers the application of epidemiological modeling to legal compliance and ethical behavior diffusion among construction project owners. An extended susceptible-exposed-infected-removed (SEIR) model was developed to analyze how statutory enforcement and voluntary market adoption jointly drive compliance diffusion, simulated via MATLAB. Three findings emerged: (1) the diffusion of ethical behavior exhibits S-shaped evolution with global asymptotic stability, providing a predictable basis for legal intervention design; (2) resistance parameters demonstrate positional asymmetry, revealing where legal safeguards are most needed; and (3) government-mandated enforcement and voluntary adoption generate superlinear synergistic effects, suggesting compliance frameworks achieve maximum efficacy when paired with market incentives. These findings offer quantitative decision support for policymakers and legal practitioners designing effective governance instruments.

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms are considered to offer several advantages over litigation and arbitration, including greater flexibility, lower cost, and better preservation of cooperative relationships between disputing parties. However, they have not been widely adopted in China’s construction industry. This study aims to identify the barriers to the implementation of ADR mechanisms for dispute resolution in the Chinese construction industry. First, 15 barrier factors were identified through a literature review and expert interviews. Then, the integrated Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory-Interpretive Structural Modeling-Cross Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (DEMATEL-ISM-MICMAC) approach was employed to analyze the interrelationships among these factors and to develop a multilevel hierarchical structural model of the barriers to implementing ADR mechanisms for dispute resolution in China’s construction industry, thereby identifying the most fundamental barriers. The results were further validated based on the driving power and dependence of the barrier factors. The findings indicate that the lack of supporting laws and regulations is the most fundamental barrier to the implementation of ADR mechanisms in China’s construction industry. The absence of explicit ADR provisions in contracts and the low willingness to use ADR mechanisms are identified as direct barriers. The results are of great significance for enriching the body of knowledge on ADR mechanisms and promoting their global development. They also provide useful references for the promotion of ADR mechanisms in China and in other countries and regions where ADR is still at an early stage of development.