The Role of Learning in Construction Technology Transfer: A 'SCOT' Perspective

Abstract

Technology transfer has been given increasing importance since the formulation of the international code of conduct for technology transfer by the UNCTAD in 1985, and has become a preferred medium to bridge development gaps between developed and developing countries. In this development, international joint ventures have been but forward as vehicle for change in the belief that contractors in developing countries can position themselves to receive technology from their developed counterparts. So far, Technology Transfer has been studied through a variety of theoretical lenses. However, predominantly, the perspectives taken have assumed a linear process, viewing technology as an object and effectively disregarding the multiple social interactions that contribute to the process. In this paper, we argue that such perspectives only provide partial explanations of how technology is transferred across organisational boundaries, and that this has consequences for its broader uptake. A counter-argument is put forward to instead view Technology Transfer as a process of socio-technical interactions that is reliant on learning within a context. Adopting the theoretical lens of the Social Construction of Technological Systems (SCOT) as put forward by Bijker et al. (1987; 2012), we explicate the role learning plays in Technology Transfer in construction projects under IJV arrangements in developing countries. Drawing on an extensive literature review and the initial findings from case study research on oil and gas projects in Ghana, we show how the SCOT framework allows for examination of the socio-technical interactions between the human actors and the construction technology at hand. In particular, how the component of learning is an integral element of the construct of ‘closure and stabilisation’ under SCOT. Conclusions are drawn highlighting the importance of studying technology transfer as a product of socio-technical interactions within a context, in order to obtain a better understanding of the process.