An assessment of conflict management practices in construction projects in Ghana (A case study of Greater Accra Region)
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Date
2021-07-13
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Abstract
Project management system involves the planning, control and co-ordination of a project from
inception to completion and ensuring that client‟s needs are met and within a specified time,
within a controlled budget to conform to quality standards. People have gradually realized that
stakeholders in construction industry play a vital role in project success which cannot be
relegated in any discussion concerning the success of any project. Conflicts can arise usually
from contractual claims and individual misunderstanding. The aim of this study was to assess the
conflict management practices in construction projects in Ghana. Questionnaires were used to
collect data from 263 respondents. The study revealed that inadequate communication among
project team members, excessive change orders, use of substandard materials for construction,
poor performance by contractors and ambiguous and contradicting instructions are major sources
of conflict in the construction industry in Ghana. Furthermore, remedial works on projects
affects time of completion and subsequently cost overruns. The research also uncovered that,
conflicts can strain business relations between construction project teams, and can escalate into
long standing litigation in court if not properly managed. Conflict management such as
compromise, collaborating, accommodating, avoiding and forcing was employed in resolving
conflict issues on construction projects. It is recommended that efforts such as detail designs
from consultants and the use of quality material will curb or minimize the various identified
conflict issues on construction projects in order to ensure successfully delivery of projects.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of Construction Technology and Management,
College of Arts and Built Environment in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
Degree of
Master of Science.
Keywords
Conflict, Management, Construction projects, Ghana