Beyond Adoption: Evidence of a Digital Technology Integration Gap Among Engineering Professionals in Ghana

Frank Boateng; Clifford Benjamin Oppong; Akyene  Tetteh

doi:10.63029/h9413w11

Authors

Frank Boateng Department of Management Studies, Faculty of Integrated Management Science, University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, Ghana Author
Clifford Benjamin Oppong Department of Management Studies, Faculty of Integrated Management Science, University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, Ghana Author
Akyene Tetteh Department of Management Studies, Faculty of Integrated Management Science, University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, Ghana Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63029/h9413w11

Keywords:

digital technology adoption, technology integration, adoption-integration gap, perceived work performance, engineering professionals, emerging economies, Ghana

Abstract

This study examines whether digital technology adoption among engineering professionals in Ghana translates into deep integration in everyday work. Using a cross-sectional survey of 151 professionals across construction, infrastructure, manufacturing, and mining, it assesses adoption of BIM, IoT, AI, and cloud computing, integration depth, perceived performance impacts, training coverage, and implementation barriers. Results show broad adoption but shallow integration: BIM is most widely used, multi-technology use is common, yet only a small minority use digital tools across most work activities. Respondents report positive perceived effects on project management, productivity, cost efficiency, and risk mitigation. Resistance to change, legacy-system integration, implementation costs, skills shortages, and limited training constrain deeper use, revealing an adoption-integration gap and the need to embed technologies fully.

Author Biographies

Frank Boateng, Department of Management Studies, Faculty of Integrated Management Science, University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, Ghana

Frank Boateng is a Chartered Global Management Accountant, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Chartered Accountant Ghana, Chartered Manager, and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute UK. He is also a Chartered Professional Administrator and a Chartered Management Consultant with the Chartered Institute of Administrators and Management Consultants of Ghana. He holds a PhD in Management from Walden University in Minneapolis, MN, USA; a Master of Philosophy in Business Consulting and Enterprise Risk Management from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana; and an MBA in Finance from the University of Leicester Business School in the UK. He has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Accounting option) and a Bachelor of Laws, both from the Central University Business School and Law Faculty, respectively. Dr Boateng has over twenty (21) years’ experience in the mining industry and has held positions including Assistant Accountant, Senior Accountant, Accounts Payable Manager, Senior Business Analyst, Financial Controller, Finance & Administration Manager, Commercial Manager, Country Managing Director, and Group CEO. He has served as an adviser and Board Member on Boards in Ghana and the United States of America. Currently, Dr Boateng is a Council Member of CIMA, a Senior Lecturer and Acting Director of the Institute of Minerals Resource Investments and Governance at the University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa.
Clifford Benjamin Oppong, Department of Management Studies, Faculty of Integrated Management Science, University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, Ghana

Clifford Benjamin Oppong holds an MSc in Engineering Management from the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, a BSc in Construction Technology Education from the University of Education, Winneba, and an HND in Civil Engineering from Kumasi Technical University, where he graduated as the best student in the Civil Engineering Department. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with the Project Management Institute and holds the Google Project Management Certificate. His professional career spans engineering, construction, industrial operations and technology in Ghana and across Africa. He began as a Field Engineer with the Electricity Company of Ghana, working on distribution asset assessment and quality control, and later managed construction delivery in the mining sector, including the Tetrem Resettlement Project for Asanko Mining and the Ahafo North project for Newmont. He later served as Production Manager at Bordar-HKC Company Limited, leading process and workforce improvements in manufacturing operations, and as Chief Revenue Officer at FlipJungle AI Lab, where he led the company's expansion into South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hues Apply AI, an artificial intelligence platform connecting young Africans to education and employment opportunities, and the founder and Managing Director of 6Cubits, an advisory practice supporting technology adoption and enterprise productivity among Ghanaian small and medium enterprises. His research interests include technology adoption and integration, digital transformation and organisational change in the construction, mining, and energy sectors, and the application of artificial intelligence to workforce development and employment outcomes in Africa. His master's research examined the relationship between technology adoption and work performance across Ghanaian industry, with particular attention to why adoption frequently fails to translate into measurable performance gains.
Akyene Tetteh, Department of Management Studies, Faculty of Integrated Management Science, University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, Ghana

Akyene Tetteh is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Management Studies at the University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa, Ghana. He holds a PhD in Economic Management, Decision Making, and Analysis from Donghua University, China. He lectures in Supply Chain Management, Management Science, and related areas; he is also a researcher, and his research focuses on Supply Chain Management, Decision Science, and International Finance.

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