Interaction between Theory and Practice in Civil Engineering and Construction Edited by Komurlu, R., Gurgun, A. P., Singh, A., and Yazdani, S. Copyright © 2016 ISEC Press ISBN: 978-0-9960437-2-4 443 TASK-TECHNOLOGY FIT IN THE ADOPTION OF LINEAR SCHEDULING METHOD JUNESEOK YANG and DAVID ARDITI Dept of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA Although the general consensus is that linear scheduling methods (LSMs) are quite powerful, their use in construction has been very limited. The linkage between the characteristics of scheduling methods and the requirements of the tasks performed by schedulers has been an on-going concern in the construction industry. This study proposes a “task-technology fit” model to understand why LSMs are not being used as extensively as expected. The model aims to determine whether the characteristics of LSM (technology) satisfy the duties and obligations of construction schedulers (tasks). By scrutinizing the task-technology fit in LSM applications, deficiencies can be detected which hinder the wider use of these methods in the industry. A questionnaire survey was administered to measure task-technology fit in LSM applications. The target population included schedulers, project managers, construction managers, and other professionals listed in the directory of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA). The findings indicate that LSM is effective in repetitive projects and is able to provide a smooth and efficient flow of resources by adjusting activities ’ rate of production. In addition, research findings point out that LSM effectively shows activity sequences as well as progress. However, the findings also reveal that LSM is not applicable when reliable resource data are not available. It should also be noted that very few software packages that perform LSM scheduling are commercially available on the market. Keywords: Task-technology fit, Scheduling methods, Linear scheduling, Scheduling tasks, Scheduling software, Visualization. 1 INTRODUCTION Even though the general consensus is that linear scheduling methods (LSMs) are quite effective in projects composed of activities of repetitive nature, their use in construction has been limited. In order to understand the reasons why these methods are not used as extensively as expected, an attempt is made in this study to analyze the linkage between the characteristics of LSM (technology) and the requirements of the tasks performed by schedulers. By scrutinizing the “task-technology fit” in LSM applications, deficiencies which deter LSM from being used widely in the industry could be found. Thereby, the ways to increase its level of acceptance could be developed.