DOI: 10.5176/2301-394X_ACE18.194
Authors: Abdulhamed Alzeraa, Emrah E. Kazan and Mumtaz A. Usmen
Abstract:
Construction industry is a main driver of the economy in many countries around the world. It is a complex industry involving a variety of stakeholders, challenging legal and environmental issues, economic and political influences, often creating an uncertain and unpredictable work environment. While successful completion of construction projects is a primary goal for the stakeholders, schedule, budget and other problems often arise between the parties, usually through claims and disputes. Poor communications are considered to play an essential role in the causation of disputes in construction projects. This study was undertaken to investigate how communication effectiveness impacts the occurrence and type of disputes using data from public projects in Saudi Arabia. A survey was conducted to collect appropriate data, which was statistically analyzed. The results indicated that communication effectiveness was reduced when information received, between the project participants, was unclear, insufficient, and lacking timely responses. Experience level of participants, language challenges, poor documentation, conflicting interests, and the distance between communicating parties were frequently occurring communication barriers produced high risks for project failures due to construction disputes.
Keywords: communications, disputes, impacts, risk analysis, Saudi Arabian construction industry
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