Merging academic research and industry requirements for innovative construction management practices in Sri Lanka : a study on critical success factors

The application of a 'knowledge-based economy', which is a mainstream theory in many sectors, is rarely visible in the construction industry, especially in developing countries. Accordingly, the negative consequence of weak academic-industry interactions has created many hindrances to the development of the construction sector. Hence, it is essential to lead the construction industry toward innovations through research-informed management practices, which urges for strong academic-industry assimilation. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for research-driven construction management innovations. A comprehensive literature review was carried out first and empirical data were collected from the Sri Lankan context using the mixed-research approach informed by a pragmatist philosophical stance. The perspectives of academia and industry were deductively obtained through questionnaires and inductively explored through semi-structured interviews. The findings were accumulated to a model and validated externally through expert interviews. The Model of CSFs for Research-driven Innovations (MRI) in construction management practices displays the CSFs stage-wise, concerning the actionable stakeholders. The research confirms the academic research's potential to foster innovations in construction management practices if righteously initiated inside the innovation space, executed properly, and disseminated strategically.