Determinants of construction companies' use of web‐based interorganizational information systems

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to measure the influence of two categories of determinants – those tied to the characteristics of the organization and those tied to the characteristics of its supply chain relationships – on construction firms' use of web‐based interorganizational information systems (IOISs) to support interorganizational processes with their key suppliers. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical evidence is gathered through an electronic survey conducted with 67 senior managers of Canadian construction companies. Findings – Findings indicate that both categories of determinants strongly influence each of the facets of construction firms' use of web‐based IOISs to support interorganizational processes with their key suppliers. Findings also indicate that the two facets of the use of web‐based IOISs to support collaborative processes are influenced by the same characteristics of supply chain relationships while the use of both types of web‐based IOISs are not influenced by the same characteristics of the supply chain relationships. Practical implications – This study shows construction managers that a supply chain approach may facilitate firms' adoption of IT to support their interorganizational processes with their suppliers. This research also exposes practitioners to the different ways web‐based IOISs can be used by construction firms to support their relationship with suppliers and emphasizes the need for managers to consider the characteristics of their supply chain relationships and not only technological factors while developing and implementing their web‐based IOISs strategy. Originality/value – This study is amongst the few empirical studies on the use of information technology to support supply chain processes between construction companies and their suppliers. By proposing an approach to web‐based IOISs measurement comprising five facets, this research also makes a theoretical contribution to the field of IOISs.