TY - GEN
T1 - Encumbrances to Social Media Applications in the South African Construction Industry
AU - Oguntona, Olusegun A.
AU - Ndoda, Usiphile
AU - Akinradewo, Opeoluwa
AU - Ogunbayo, Babatunde F.
AU - Aigbavboa, Clinton O.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 IEEE.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - The recent covid-19 pandemic that grounded all sectors of the economy has seen the proliferation and widespread adoption of social media applications (SMAs) globally. These SMAs have revolutionised interactions, operations, and communications across various sectors, including the construction industry (CI). However, the numerous benefits accrued to the adoption and use of SMAs are faced with both technological and non-technological factors impeding their optimal utilisation. Hence, this paper is aimed at exploring the encumbrances that hinder the effective adoption and use of SMAs in the CI. The quantitative research approach was adopted using a structured questionnaire survey that was administered to construction professionals in the South African construction industry (SACI). The duo of descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis were employed to analyse the collected data. The results revealed 24 encumbrances with the risk of identity theft, load-shedding/electricity challenges, misinformation/fake news, possible leak of classified information, and cyber-attacks as the top five hindrances to the use of SMAs. Also, the EFA provided four key clusters which are "Security and Privacy Concerns", "Connectivity and Device Limitations", "Information and Communication Difficulties", and "Usability and Awareness Challenges". The study concluded that addressing the identified encumbrances through targeted strategies can foster the effective integration of SMAs, empowering construction professionals to harness the benefits of digital collaboration and communication in their projects.
AB - The recent covid-19 pandemic that grounded all sectors of the economy has seen the proliferation and widespread adoption of social media applications (SMAs) globally. These SMAs have revolutionised interactions, operations, and communications across various sectors, including the construction industry (CI). However, the numerous benefits accrued to the adoption and use of SMAs are faced with both technological and non-technological factors impeding their optimal utilisation. Hence, this paper is aimed at exploring the encumbrances that hinder the effective adoption and use of SMAs in the CI. The quantitative research approach was adopted using a structured questionnaire survey that was administered to construction professionals in the South African construction industry (SACI). The duo of descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis were employed to analyse the collected data. The results revealed 24 encumbrances with the risk of identity theft, load-shedding/electricity challenges, misinformation/fake news, possible leak of classified information, and cyber-attacks as the top five hindrances to the use of SMAs. Also, the EFA provided four key clusters which are "Security and Privacy Concerns", "Connectivity and Device Limitations", "Information and Communication Difficulties", and "Usability and Awareness Challenges". The study concluded that addressing the identified encumbrances through targeted strategies can foster the effective integration of SMAs, empowering construction professionals to harness the benefits of digital collaboration and communication in their projects.
KW - Built environment
KW - Construction digitalisation
KW - Construction practices
KW - Emerging technologies
KW - Fourth industrial revolution
KW - Social media application
KW - South Africa
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85202935781&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/SEB4SDG60871.2024.10629824
DO - 10.1109/SEB4SDG60871.2024.10629824
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85202935781
T3 - International Conference on Science, Engineering and Business for Driving Sustainable Development Goals, SEB4SDG 2024
BT - International Conference on Science, Engineering and Business for Driving Sustainable Development Goals, SEB4SDG 2024
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 2024 International Conference on Science, Engineering and Business for Driving Sustainable Development Goals, SEB4SDG 2024
Y2 - 2 April 2024 through 4 April 2024
ER -