Innovation-Led Construction Management Strategies for Improving Procurement, Contractor Coordination, and Regulatory Compliance in Emerging Economics

Construction sectors in emerging economies continue to face persistent challenges related to procurement inefficiencies, weak contractor coordination, and inconsistent regulatory compliance. This study examines the extent to which innovation-led construction management strategies can address these structural limitations and improve overall project performance. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combines quantitative analysis of 186 respondents across multiple project types with qualitative insights from key industry stakeholders. The study evaluates three core domains procurement systems, contractor coordination mechanisms, and regulatory compliance structures using descriptive statistics, structural equation modeling, data envelopment analysis, and thematic analysis. Findings reveal that projects adopting digital tools such as e-procurement platforms, BIM-based collaboration systems, and automated compliance monitoring achieve significantly higher levels of transparency, communication efficiency, schedule reliability, and audit readiness than those relying on traditional management practices. Innovation-led strategies produced measurable improvements across all domains, with procurement transparency and coordination efficiency showing the greatest gains. The study also identifies institutional capacity, technological readiness, and organizational culture as critical enablers of successful innovation adoption. Despite these promising outcomes, limitations such as reliance on self-reported data, regional sampling constraints, and the inability to measure long-term effects warrant caution in interpretation. The study concludes that innovation represents a transformative pathway for enhancing construction governance and project delivery in emerging economies, provided that supportive policy frameworks, capacity-building initiatives, and cross-sector collaboration are established. Recommendations include adopting standardized digital procurement systems, strengthening inter-agency regulatory coordination, incentivizing innovation uptake, and expanding training programs to build digital competencies across stakeholder groups. The research contributes to the growing literature on construction innovation by offering an integrated, evidence-based perspective on how emerging economies can modernize construction management practices to achieve more efficient, transparent, and sustainable infrastructure development.