Structural Equation Modeling in Prefabricated Construction: A Systematic Review of Applications, Findings and Future Directions

Abstract

As prefabricated construction emerges as a key path for the modernization and transformation of the construction industry, its development process is confronted with numerous management complexity challenges, such as low efficiency in multi-party collaboration, difficulty in quantifying key success factors, and unclear performance-driven mechanisms. Traditional statistical methods cannot effectively reveal these implicit and complex causal relationships. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is a multivariate statistical approach. It handles both latent and observed variables. It tests causal relationships among multiple variables. It provides a powerful tool for exploring management issues in prefabricated construction. Research Objective: This paper aims to systematically review and summarize the current research status of SEM applications in the prefabricated construction field, summarize its main application areas, analytical frameworks, and research findings, identify existing research deficiencies, and outline future research directions, providing a clear research map and reference for scholars and practitioners in this field. Research Method: We searched Web of Science, Scopus, CNKI, and Wanfang databases for literature from 2018 to 2025. Following PRISMA guidelines, we selected 68 eligible studies after screening and used inductive analysis to synthesize the results. Research Results: The review finds SEM applies to four core areas. First, identifying key influencing factors, such as how government policies and market environment affect adoption willingness. Second, evaluating project performance, showing how design standardization and supply chain collaboration impact cost, schedule, and quality. Third, managing supply chain collaboration and risks, quantifying the role of information sharing and trust. Fourth, assessing comprehensive sustainability, integrating economic, environmental, and social factors into evaluation models. Current research has limitations: over-reliance on cross-sectional questionnaire data, subjective model construction, and lack of dynamic analysis. SEM effectively deepens the study of prefabricated construction management mechanisms. Future research should combine SEM with system dynamics or artificial intelligence, use BIM and IoT for dynamic data, and expand from single projects to industrial ecosystems. This review fills the gap of systematic synthesis in this field and provides a reference for researchers and practitioners.