Perceived sustainable construction waste management performance in the AIoT context: an integrated TAM–TOE framework in Malaysia

Improving construction waste management has become a strategic imperative as the construction industry faces mounting pressure to reduce environmental impacts, improve resource efficiency, and meet sustainability targets. While Building Information Modeling (BIM), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have individually attracted considerable research attention, empirical understanding of Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) as an integrated intelligent ecosystem for sustainable construction waste management remains limited. More importantly, the organisational and behavioural processes through which contextual conditions shape perceptions of AIoT-related technologies and perceived sustainable construction waste management performance remain inadequately explained. To address this gap, the present study examines perceived sustainable construction waste management performance in the AIoT context by integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework. Drawing on survey data collected from 315 construction professionals in selected regions of Peninsular Malaysia, the proposed framework, Perceived Usefulness, demonstrated the largest path coefficient. Perceived sustainable construction waste management performance was evaluated using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that technological, organisational, and environmental factors were significantly and positively associated with the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of AIoT-related technologies. Among the examined relationships, perceived usefulness emerged as the strongest predictor of perceived sustainable construction waste management performance. In contrast, organisational factors were the only contextual factor to exert a significant direct association with perceived performance. Notably, technological and environmental factors did not directly associate with perceived performance; instead, significant indirect associations were observed through perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. The mediation results further confirmed the pivotal roles of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use in linking contextual conditions to perceived sustainable construction waste management performance. The findings highlight the importance of organisational readiness and user perceptions of AIoT-related technologies in shaping perceived sustainable construction waste management performance, offering practical direction for construction firms, technology providers, and policymakers pursuing sustainability-oriented digital transformation.