Individuals' Resistance to Technological Change in the AEC Industry

Ever increasing technological capabilities exist in the architecture/engineering/construction (AEC) industry. Email, project specific websites, Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), and animations are but a few technologies adopted in recent years within the industry. The change methods used in the adoptions suggest a focus on technology, yet the technology itself is seen as a primary barrier to successful implementation. In general, the AEC industry is extremely slow to embrace available technology. The hesitation in adoption originates because technology is the driver of change, rather than an enabler of change. Therefore, technology focused change models are inappropriate to ensure successful technology implementation in the AEC industry. This paper discusses initial research results investigating the importance of each of these behavioral characteristic measures indicative of resistance to change.