Technology transfer strategies and practices in Nigerian construction organisations

There is no doubt that Technology Transfer (TT) activity from the transferees' viewpoint is an important issue when it comes to economic development, especially indeveloping countries. This present study is concerned with Technology TransferStrategies and Practices (TTS&P) within/between Nigerian constructionorganisations, from the transferees' perspective where emphasis is placed more on theindigenous construction organisations. The aim of this study is to develop aframework of TTS&P for Nigerian indigenous construction organisations.This study recognised the importance of collaboration in any Technology Transfer(TT) activities, as Technology Transfer (TT) is a give and take process. Therefore, thestudy investigated Technology Transfer Strategies and Practices (TTS&P) from bothindigenised foreign construction organisations and indigenous constructionorganisations in Nigeria.It investigated the current Technology Transfer Strategies and Practices (TTS&P)employed, the effectiveness of Technology Transfer Strategies and Practices(TTS&P), the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) that influence the implementation ofTechnology Transfer Strategies and Practices (TTS&P), the benefits and challengesassociated with Technology Transfer Strategies and Practices (TTS&P).Evidence from literature revealed the need for TTS&P in Nigerian indigenousconstruction organisations. It also revealed that there are very few studies on TT thathave been undertaken in developing countries, whilst no study has been done onTTS&P, especially in Nigerian construction organisations.The objectives of this empirical study were to explore TTS&P within Nigerianconstruction organisations. The research adopted an interpretive stance and employsmultiple data collection methods. It employed a combination of both postalquestionnaires and semi-structured interviews. A total of 143 completedquestionnaires representing 108 questionnaires from indigenous constructionorganisations and 35 questionnaires from indigenised foreign constructionorganisations, formed the data base for the quantitative analysis. The qualitative datawere from 23 semi-structured interviews (9 interviews came from indigenised foreignconstruction organisations and 14 interviews from indigenous constructionorganisations).The study concluded that organisational alliance through technology transfers aregrowing and the potential benefits of such organisational arrangements are not beingrealised because participating organisations are emphasising on short-term profitsharing to the detriment of more long-term and ultimately, core value-added,dimensions of knowledge creation and organisational learning. The study thereforerecommended a long-term collaboration that would embrace technology transferstrategies and practices which would encourage construction organisations to moveaway from their traditional client-contractors relationships to more contractorscontractors-clients relationship for more knowledge, skills and techniques sharingprocesses.This study was limited to Nigerian construction organisations, especially theindigenous construction organisations, but can be generalised and thus applied toother organisations that exhibit similar characteristics