Micro-Innovation in Construction Projects in the Digital Economy: The Role of Knowledge and Character Management

In the context of the digital economy and quality engineering construction, micro-innovation has gained increasing attention in construction projects. This study incorporates knowledge and character management theory into micro-innovation research and explores how intellectual capital and team character shape micro-innovation in construction projects within the digital economy. A questionnaire design was used to collect data from 315 projects, and the structural equation modeling was applied to test the conceptual model. The results reveal three main findings: (1) intellectual capital exerts a direct positive effect on micro-innovation in construction projects, whereas team character does not; (2) both intellectual capital and team character indirectly enhance micro-innovation through policy perception and market sensing; and (3) the mediating effect of market sensing is stronger in the relationship between intellectual capital and micro-innovation, while the mediating effect of policy perception is more prominent in the relationship between team character and micro-innovation. By theorizing the mechanisms of micro-innovation in construction projects, this study provides important implications for improving micro-innovation practices in the digital era.