An incentive mechanism for construction projects considering intertemporal spillover effect of digital capability

Résumé fourni par la source

Purpose Digital capability has become a key driver of transformation in the construction industry, emerging from stakeholders' collective digital investments. This study aims to develop an incentive mechanism that motivates project participants to undertake digital investment efforts in construction projects. Design/methodology/approach Building on the principal-agent framework, this study incorporates digital investment tasks into a unified multi-task, multi-stage, and multi-agent model. The model captures both the resource competition and technological empowerment between digital and conventional tasks, while explicitly considering the intertemporal spillover effects of digital capability. Analytical solutions and numerical simulations are employed to examine how key parameters including digital competence, task-technology fit, and interdependence degree influence the owner's optimal incentive intensity. Findings The results show that incentive design should be both stage-differentiated and parameter-sensitive. Specifically, owners should provide stronger incentive intensity to early-stage contractors to leverage intertemporal spillover effects. In addition, incentive intensity increases with higher levels of contractors' digital competence, task-technology fit, and interdependence in digital tasks. Originality/value This study extends the principal-agent framework by integrating digital investment into a multi-stage analytical structure, explicitly capturing intertemporal spillovers and task interactions. It offers a novel theoretical perspective on incentive design in digitalized construction projects and provides actionable insights for developing lifecycle-oriented incentive mechanisms.

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