Effects of adopting mobile technologies on the managerial competencies of construction firms

Background: The extensive utilisation of mobile technologies (MTs) for cost reduction and improving organisational efficiency is widely acknowledged in the entrepreneurship literature. Despite the fact, the effect of adopting MTs on the managerial competencies of small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) remains incomprehensible by emerging construction firms (ECFs).Objectives: This study contributes to the theory and practise of competency development in project management (PM) by exploring how MT adoption intensity during project execution affects the perceived managerial competencies of owners/project managers of ECFs.Method: This quantitative study employed the perspectives of 222 ECF owners/managers surveyed in the Free State province of South Africa. It established how the adoption of MTs during project execution impacted the perceived managerial competencies of these entrepreneurs.Results: The results indicated that the adoption of MTs during project execution has a positive and significant effect on the communicative and social competencies of ECF owners and managers, with MT adoption explaining 88.0% of the variance in communicative competencies and 87.9% in social competencies. The results further demonstrate that the type of device used (laptops and tablets) moderated the strength of the MT adoption – managerial competencies relationship.Conclusion: The study recommends targeted and strategic wider rollout of specific MTs that improve managerial competencies to optimise the efficiency of project-related operations.Contribution: The article contributes to the broader PM theory and literature especially competency-based project execution by exploring how MT adoption can facilitate greater communication and social competencies that improve the organisational efficiency of ECFs.