Exploring organisational attributes affecting the innovativeness of UK SMEs

Purpose – The UK construction sector of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) has received criticism for a perceived lack of desire to innovate. Previous research has identified attributes such as company size and levels of research and development expenditure as being significant ‘causal’ variables determining this response. The aim of this research was to further explore organisational attributes that determine innovation likeliness within construction SME’s. Design/methodology/approach – Web based questionnaires were administered to 101 construction professionals. Responses from large companies and SME’s were compared and data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Findings – Findings indicate that SME’s do implement a substantial amount of innovation in order to improve profitability. Both organisational maturity and in-house design capability were found to impact SME innovativeness. Originality/value – The study provides further evidence that the UK construction SME sector is evolving away from traditional to more innovative practices.