Analysing the policy system of digital transformation in China’s construction industry: an objective-instrument network approach

The sluggish advancement of digital transformation of the construction industry (DTCI) in China underscores the imperative for systematic policy evaluation. Current research predominantly examines policy elements respectively, inadequately addressing systemic complexity arising from the interdependence between policy objectives and instruments. This study addresses this gap by employing an innovative network analysis methodology to examine DTCI policy documents (containing 354 instruments and 351 objectives). Through constructing policy mix networks derived from 930 objective-instrument pairs, our analysis reveals three critical findings: First, Chinese DTCI policies exhibit disproportionate emphasis on technical systems, sectoral policies, and market regimes while marginalizing socio-cultural dimensions and scientific knowledge development. Second, we identify a pronounced governmental preference for environmental and supply-side policy instruments. Third, network configuration analysis demonstrates substantial misalignment between stated objectives and implemented instruments. The study further delineates two central policy clusters comprising nine core instruments and ten primary objectives. These findings inform targeted recommendations for optimizing China’s DTCI policy framework. This research advances policy analysis by introducing a network-based paradigm that explicitly captures the interconnected nature of policy elements. The proposed approach enhances evaluative precision in complex policy systems, offering transferable insights for improving policy coherence and implementation efficacy in digital transformation initiatives.