CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2026
| Author | Thakur, Kumar Gaurav |
|---|---|
| Title | Integrating Innovation and Collaboration in Indian Construction:A Mixed-Methods Analysis |
| Summary | The construction industry has long struggled to keep pace with innovation compared to other sectors, hindered by fragmentation, short project lifecycles, and limited resources. This dissertation examines how collaborative models can improve the innovation environment in the construction sector, focusing on India, a rapidly developing nation with one of the world’s largest construction markets and significant environmental challenges. To explore this, the dissertation introduces the Networked Construction Innovation Alliance Model (NCIAM), a three-tier collaborative framework designed to centralise access to innovation, leverage diverse partnerships, and foster systemic change within the construction sector. A mixed-methods approach is adopted across two interconnected research studies. The second chapter provides philosophical grounding for this dissertation. This chapter has outlined the ontological and epistemological foundations that inform the selection of methods for this dissertation and justify its conceptual approach. The third chapter, guided by systems theory and using semi-structured interviews analysed using the Gioia method, proposes a detailed NCIAM framework, emphasising the roles of SMEs, young innovative firms, and public institutions, as well as the presence of construction contractors and other innovative firms. The fourth chapter employs the extended Resource-Based View of strategy using PLS-SEM analysis to demonstrate how NCIAM participation can yield financial gains and inter-organisational stakeholder trust. Together, these studies make theoretical contributions to open innovation, systems theory, and the extended RBV, and offer practical implications for advancing collaborative innovation in construction. The NCIAM presents a viable foundation for improving innovation ecosystems, with future research needed to test its real-world application, refine governance structures, and explore broader geographic adaptability. |
| Supervisor | Akbar, Yusaf |
| Department | Economics PhD |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2026/thakur_kumar-gaurav.pdf |
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