Adoption of Wearables in The Construction Industry: A Survey of Stakeholders’ Perspectives

Abstract

The construction industry is essential to economic and infrastructural development. Despite that, it is considered one of the most dangerous industries worldwide. Wearable technologies (WTs) offer an innovative approach to improve health and safety; however, research on stakeholders’ perceptions in the Global South, particularly the Middle East, remains limited.

This study investigates construction stakeholders' perceptions of WT adoption in selected Middle Eastern countries, using Lebanon and the GCC as illustrative, under-examined contexts. This study has three objectives: (1) to investigate construction stakeholders’ perceived benefits and willingness to adopt wearable technologies in the region; (2) to examine perceived barriers and understand why the region is underutilizing WTs; and (3) to compare stakeholder perceptions between the Global South (Lebanon & GCC) and the Global North (United States).

This study employed a mixed-methods design that combined quantitative and qualitative strategies to achieve a comprehensive understanding of stakeholders’ opinions and perceptions regarding WTs in the construction industry. The study involved administering an online survey to construction professionals in managerial positions, with participants given the option to complete the survey only or participate in a semi-structured interview alongside it.

A total of 146 responses were collected, with 101 complete responses included in the analysis, collected from construction professionals across Lebanon and GCC countries, with the majority of participants aged between 20 and 39 years and representing diverse managerial and engineering roles. Collected data were analyzed quantitatively using descriptive (means and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (t-tests and ANOVA) in R. At the same time, qualitative responses were examined through thematic analysis using MAXQDA to identify key patterns and insights.

The findings of this study indicated that construction stakeholders generally have a high level of acceptance toward the use of WTs, particularly in improving worker safety, monitoring fatigue, and enhancing productivity and workflow efficiency. Qualitative results further highlighted key benefits, including safety and risk monitoring, worker health and personalized feedback, and operational and management improvements. However, several barriers were also identified, mainly related to privacy concerns, trust in data usage, and practical challenges such as comfort and potential work interference. To address these issues, participants emphasized the importance of increasing awareness and training, as well as establishing clear policies to ensure data privacy and proper use. The findings also reflected key elements of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Health Belief Model (HBM), in which perceived usefulness and perceived benefits positively influenced acceptance, whereas perceived barriers and concerns affected stakeholders’ willingness to adopt wearable technologies. The results are discussed and recommendations for further research are included.