Learning from existing errors: External stakeholders’ impact on road infrastructure projects

Abstract

Road infrastructure improves a country’s economy through the transportation of goods and resources while providing access to various facilities. To attain success on road construction projects, it is essential to engage the external stakeholders involved to avoid controversies and conflicts at the project’s execution phase. This study is aimed at evaluating the impact of stakeholders on the successful execution of road projects. The paper adopted a quantitative approach in investigating external stakeholders’ impact on a road construction project in South Africa. Data for this study was collected using both primary and secondary sources. A 76% rate of retrieval was achieved using a questionnaire survey, and they were found suitable for analysis. The use of factor analysis in data analysis aided in reducing the large set of factors to four clusters. According to the findings, community unrest was at the forefront, followed by slow responses from existing service providers; project delays; poor relationships among service providers; a negative attitude toward the project; regular changes in local authority rules, regulations, and protocol; and resistance to relocating property. According to the findings, stakeholder involvement encourages the general people to share information with regulatory bodies. This will assist authorities in making better-informed decisions, thereby reducing the possibility of project failure. This study will be useful to construction professionals in enhancing the successful completion of road projects while knowing when to involve external stakeholders for smooth running of road construction projects in developing countries.