In the study “Micro and macro level of dispute cause in residential building projects: studies of Saudi Arabia” Mahamid affirms that the construction sector has the unavoidable status of being uncongenial (12-20). In this regard, there are paradoxically both argument incidences and resolution approaches. In the article, the researcher affirmed that a dispute is a challenge or disagreement involving two or more parties, which cannot be addressed effectively by the project managers (Mahamid 12-14). The occurrence of arguments may be triggered by numerous reasons. For instance, it might begin with a simple disagreement and result in a considerable set of consistent altercations. Chaos may cause hostile connections amid parties in the construction sector, for example, suppliers, owners, contractors, and developers. The construction industry in Saudi Arabia is among the major economic strongholds in the world. Nevertheless, it experiences problems that negatively affect its role in ramping up the national economy. Contract disagreement is the major cause of delays in huge building projects across the country.
Great consideration ought to be given to disputes involving construction parties that result in unconstructive effects on the success of the project. The aim of the research was to establish frequent direct and indirect sources of quarrels in residential building schemes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Mahamid 12-16). Although the construction sector is marred by dispute incidences, inadequate studies have been undertaken in the industry. Most of the occurring wrangles entail performance, delays, quality, lost productivity, negligence, administration, overhead costs, and expenditure on equipment. Attributable to the high relationship among the different forms of altercations, there is a need to re-examine the aspects resulting in such challenges in construction projects for a detailed and extensive comprehension of their sources. Some research studies affirm that more than 60% of projects are cumbered by time overrun while 45 out of 75 of such schemes are deemed delayed. The standard overrun time was roughly 20%.
Though studies establish more than 70 sources of delay in building projects, they conclude that there is just one common cause, the variation of instructions by the owner in the course of construction. Other regular causes of disputes in construction projects encompass delayed payments, unsuccessful planning, poor management, and insufficient labor force. Researchers identify the aspects that bring about inaccuracies in cost approximations in the construction industry in Saudi Arabia. Some of the factors include monetary problems, bidding procedure, project qualities, and the budgeting process (Mahamid 15). The factors that have been established to affect the cost of construction in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the perspective of contractors include prior experience, the existence of administration finance and preparations, type, magnitude, and contents of the contract, and locality of the project. Most of the sources of disagreement from the contractors’ point of view correspond with the sentiments of the consultants.
Some relevant studies for use in the research were obtained from collections of published literature, peer-reviewed journal articles, and reports. From the existing studies, the researcher sought to define the sources of disputes in construction projects (Mahamid 15-16). The questionnaire was the preferred method of data collection. It was randomly distributed to 150 contractors to assess the degree of the effect of the indirect and direct argument causes. A pilot study was carried out to corroborate information from the survey and ensure that it was suitable for the objectives of the research. This was realized through issuing the draft questionnaire alongside a covering letter to 5 professionals in the construction industry seeking their assessment of the content of legitimacy of the survey and their addition of more causes if necessary.
Following the reception of responses from the chosen professionals, the questionnaire was slightly altered anchored in the feedback. The researcher used statistical methods to understand the distribution, compactness, and extent of the reactions with respect to the established sources of disputes. The statistical approaches employed are the calculation of the weighted mean, coefficient of variation, and standard deviation (Mahamid 17-18). Assessment of the suggested causes of disputes in construction projects underscored five grievous direct sources, which encompass late processing of payments by owners, impractical duration of the contracts, variation of orders, low quality of completed tasks, and a shortage of workers. Five of the most common indirect causes include an insufficient experience of contractors, poor communication amongst parties in the construction site, ineffective scheduling and planning of tasks at any stage, financial issues, and inaccurate estimation processes.
Regardless of the occurrence of chaos, the construction sector offers crucial ingredients for the improvement of the national and international economy. Disputes may be destructive and expensive but might also appear predestined. However, they should be carefully assessed and prevented to avoid their negative effects. The study established the top 5 direct and indirect sources of wrangles in construction projects (Mahamid 19). Anchored in the results of the study, project owners are recommended to evaluate the resources and abilities of bidders before making their selection and give adequate time for appropriate planning, scheduling, design, documentation, approximations, and tender. Moreover, effective communication and coordination should be upheld by all the players from the commencement to the completion of the project.
Work Cited
Mahamid, Ibrahim. “Micro and Macro Level of Dispute Causes in Residential Building Projects: Studies of Saudi Arabia.” Journal of King Saud University-Engineering Sciences, vol. 28, no. 1, 2016, pp. 12-20.