Contractor Satisfaction Research Articles

Influence of the Contractor's Culture on the UAE Construction Project's Performance

Academics have recently paid a lot of attention to culture, as it has been shown to have an impact on organizational performance. There has been little research carried out on assessing the correlation between project organizational culture and performance in the industry of construction. This study aims to verify how the culture of the contractor affects the construction projects performance in the UAE according to work practices at the project level. Data from 124 recently completed construction projects in the UAE were examined using questionnaires to collect specific data for this purpose. This study found a significant relationship between the contractor's culture and the project's performance. The findings reveal that the contractor significantly affects the overall performance of the project. Client satisfaction with quality is more impacted by the contractor's culture, while contractor satisfaction with profitability is least impacted by the contractor's culture. The findings of this study will assist those who work in construction projects in identifying ways to enhance the culture of the contractor at the project level. This can help improve the performance and success of construction projects.

Relationship between contractor satisfaction and project management performance

Despite the fast growth of project-based companies and industries, studies of the satisfaction-performance (S-P) nexus of project participants are lacking. This study aims to explore the role of contractor satisfaction in affecting contractor project management performance along with considering external effects from other key participants. Two broad dimensions of satisfaction toward noneconomic factors and economic factors were used to develop hypothesized models. Structural equation modelling techniques were applied with data collected from 117 projects, showing that it is insufficient to simply conclude that contractor satisfaction influences project managerial performance and vice versa, and that satisfaction disaggregation is necessary. Additionally, it was found that noneconomic satisfaction contributes to performance, which in turn contributes to economic satisfaction. The theoretical and practical implications are further discussed.

An Analysis of Contractor Satisfaction on Owner Team Performance in Construction Projects (Case Study: Construction Projects in ITS)

Subjective performance measurements have been developed on construction projects of various key stakeholders such as contractors, designers and consultants. These approaches are usually related to owner satisfaction, customer satisfaction, occupant satisfaction but very rarely consider contractor satisfaction. The performance of the contractor and owner are interdependent, and their interactions fundamentally determine the overall project performance. This research aims to analyze the level of contractor satisfaction with the team owner’s performance which in the end to improve the improvement (Continuous Improvement) where there are indicators of team’ owner performance that needs attention to be improved and improved and those that need to be maintained. Owner performance indicators include the owner’s understanding of project needs, finances, decision-making, management, adequate support for contractors, client attitudes, clarity of client/owner commitment goals, and the working relationship of the owner and contractor. These indicators were obtained from literature and interviews with practitioners. These indicators are then developed to improve the existing conceptual framework. The satisfaction is measured using the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) and priority variables that need to be improved are analyzed by the Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) method. The results of this study indicate the level of contractor satisfaction with the performance of the team owner from CSI calculations at the level of satisfaction. Meanwhile the results of the IPA show that financial indicators, one sub-indicator of support for contractors and one sub-indicator of the attitude of the owner must be improved.
 Keywords: Contractor satisfaction, Owner performance, Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI), Importance Performance Analysis (IPA).

Client-contractor relations on construction projects in Ghana

This study sought to determine ways to improve the relationship between clients and contractors on construction projects. The study identifies 14 measures central to improving relationship building between clients and contractors within the construction industry and their prevalence explored from 145 contractors, conveniently sampled. Data obtained from the study is analysed by mean score ranking. The findings revealed that 'ensuring professionalism from both parties', 'achieving client and contractor satisfaction', 'effective communication between parties', 'ensuring commitment from both parties', 'attaching importance to the project by each party', 'ensuring trustworthiness', and 'conformance to contract agreements from both parties' are highly significant measures that contribute to improving client-contractor relationship. Neglect of the identified measures by either party may lead to frustration from the individual and overall objectives of projects. This study makes an original contribution of exploring the area of client-contractor relationship management in Ghana from the practitioners' point of view. In practice, the findings from this study should assist construction practitioners in Ghana as well as those from other developing countries who seek to manage relationships between clients and contractors on projects.

Client-contractor relations on construction projects in Ghana

This study sought to determine ways to improve the relationship between clients and contractors on construction projects. The study identifies 14 measures central to improving relationship building between clients and contractors within the construction industry and their prevalence explored from 145 contractors, conveniently sampled. Data obtained from the study is analysed by mean score ranking. The findings revealed that 'ensuring professionalism from both parties', 'achieving client and contractor satisfaction', 'effective communication between parties', 'ensuring commitment from both parties', 'attaching importance to the project by each party', 'ensuring trustworthiness', and 'conformance to contract agreements from both parties' are highly significant measures that contribute to improving client-contractor relationship. Neglect of the identified measures by either party may lead to frustration from the individual and overall objectives of projects. This study makes an original contribution of exploring the area of client-contractor relationship management in Ghana from the practitioners' point of view. In practice, the findings from this study should assist construction practitioners in Ghana as well as those from other developing countries who seek to manage relationships between clients and contractors on projects.

Impacts of service buyer management on contractor profitability and satisfaction – a Swedish case study

ABSTRACTSuccessful harvesting contractors are crucial for competitive wood supply. This study builds on the assumption that contractor motivation to stay in the forest sector depends not only on success in terms of profitability, but also on satisfaction with the conditions provided by their service buyers. The key characteristics of service buying companies associated with success from both perspectives were identified for a questionnaire sample of 30 contractors working for two Swedish forest owners associations (FOAs). PLS regression was used to analyze responses and to set VIP rankings of relative factor importance for explaining variation in achieved success. The characteristics most important for contractor satisfaction differed from those most important for achieving high operating margins, but a group of common key factors was identified. A framework was developed for sorting factors into three levels of importance when integrating the two perspectives. In general, respondents’ perceptions of FOA performance best explained variation in success for both perspectives, however the contractors’ expectations were also linked to this variation. The two most important factors for contractor success were (a) the FOA provision of a consistent level of year-round capacity utilization, and (b) FOA managers’ helpfulness in solving the problems which typically arise in wood supply operations. The study concludes with identifying important managerial implications based on the results.

Assessing Contractor Satisfaction towards Client Performance in Construction Projects

While most research looks at the client satisfaction in the construction industry, contractor satisfaction towards client performance is also an important issue. The performance of contractors and clients are inter-reliant, and their interactions fundamentally determine the overall project performance. This research aims to analyze the level of contractor satisfaction towards client performance. The objectives are to determine the contractor satisfaction index (CoSI) towards client performance, and to evaluate performance indicators to improve. Data was collected through questionnaire surveys filled out by 163 respondents. Indicators of client performance include client’s understanding of project requirements, financial, decision making, management skills, supports for contractor and client’s attitude. This research found that the CoSI equals to 69.65%, indicating that in general the contractors are satisfied with the clients’ performance. Further, an importance-performance analysis of client performance (IPACP) classifies the client performance based on the importance and performance, resulting in four categories, i.e. excellent work, areas of improvement, low priority, and disproportionate. Excellent work of clients are mainly related to financial and attitude, while areas of improvement include the understanding of project scope and spesification, ease of payment approval on projects, unity of opinion from client’s team, and administration system. These findings are beneficial for clients for self-evaluation on their performance, particularly on attributes they underperform. Policy makers in the construction industry can also learn from these findings to initiate a strategic program to strengthen client performance. As the performance of clients and contractors are inter-reliant, improving client performance also means enhancing contractor performance for a successful project.

Conceptual Model of Contractor Satisfaction in the Industrialized Building System (IBS) Implementation

Most construction projects have been recognized as underperformance due to the increase numbers of delays, cost overruns and poor quality construction. The inability of contractors to meet clients’ expectation has been found as one of the main causes that contribute to the project failure. Alternatively, key players are encouraged to shift from the conventional method towards Industrialized Building System (IBS). Also known as prefabrication, previous researchers proved that IBS is able to minimize on-site works and increase the building quality in a controlled environment. However, the take up rate of IBS in Malaysian construction industry is still low as compared to developed countries basically due to incapability of contractors in mastering an advanced technology and their negative perceptions in IBS implementation. In addition, a limited subjective performance measurement, particularly to evaluate contractors' satisfaction level in implementing the IBS construction is still neglected. This is a review paper for an on-going research in examining contractor satisfaction levels on the IBS implementation and its attributes. The measurements are based on contractor perception instead of the typical approaches that solely concerned with objective measures (time, cost and quality). As a result, several attributes that integrate sustainability elements (economical, environmental, social, and institutional factors) are also determined. These attributes are then developed through systematic analysis to enhance the ability of IBS in improving contractors’ satisfaction. The developed framework is expected to help the project team in performing IBS projects more efficiently, ensuring the quality meet the standards and encouraging effective communication between participants. Moreover, the findings will be useful to assist contractors in enhancing competitiveness, increase company reputation and improve project deliveries to meet global challenges.

STOCHASTIC QUALITY-COST OPTIMIZATION SYSTEM HYBRIDIZING MULTI-OBJECTIVE GENETIC ALGORITHM AND QUALITY FUNCTION DEPLOYMENT

This paper introduces an automated tool, the stochastic quality-cost optimization (SQCO) system, that hybridizes multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) and Quality Function Deployment (QFD). The system identifies the optimal trade-off between a construction owner’s satisfaction and a contractor’s satisfaction. It is important to reconcile the project participants’ conflicting interests because the construction owner aims to maximize the quality of construction while the contractor aims to minimize the cost of construction. MOGA is used to optimize resource allocation when owner satisfaction and contractor satisfaction are pursued at the same time under a limited budget. Multi-objective optimization is integrated with simulation to effectively deal with the uncertainties of the QFD input and the variability of the QFD output. This study is of value to practitioners because SQCO allows for the establishment of a quality plan that satisfies all of the multi project participants. The study is also of relevance to researchers in that it allows researchers to expeditiously identify an optimal design alternative of construction methods and operations. A test case implemented with a curtain-wall unit verifies the usability and validity of the system in practice.

Determinants of contractor satisfaction

Performance in the construction industry is increasingly scrutinized as a result of the delays, cost overruns and poor quality of the industry’s products and services. Increasingly, disputes, conflicts and mismatches of objectives among participants are contributory factors. Performance measurement approaches have been developed to overcome these problems. However, these approaches focus primarily on objective measures to the exclusion of subjective measures, particularly those concerning contractor satisfaction (Co-S). The contractor satisfaction model (CoSMo) developed here is intended to rectify the situation. Data derived from a questionnaire survey of 75 large contractors in Malaysia in respect of a key project are analysed to identify participant factors and their strength of relationship with Co-S dimensions. The results are presented in the form of eight regression equations. The outcome is a tool for use by project participants to provide a better understanding of how they, and the project, affect contractor satisfaction. The developed model sheds some light on a hitherto unknown aspect of construction management in providing an increased awareness of the importance of major Malaysian construction contractors’ needs in the execution of successful projects.

Examining the influence of participant performance factors on contractor satisfaction: A structural equation model

Participant performance is critical to the success of projects. At the same time, enhancing the satisfaction of participants not only helps in problem solving but also improves their motivation and cooperation. However, previous research related to participant satisfaction is primarily concerned with clients and customers and relatively little attention has been paid to contractors.This paper investigates how the performance of project participants affects contractor project satisfaction in terms of the client's clarity of objectives (OC) and promptness of payments (PP), designer carefulness (DC), construction risk management (RM), the effectiveness of their contribution (EW) and mutual respect and trust (RT). With 125 valid responses from contractors in Malaysia, a contractor satisfaction model is developed based on structural equation modelling.The results demonstrate the necessity for dividing abstract satisfaction into two dimensions, comprising economic-related satisfaction (ES) and production-related satisfaction (PS), with DC, OC, PP and RM having significant effects on ES, while DC, OC, EW and RM influence PS. In addition, the model tests the indirect effects of these performance variables on ES and PS. In particular, OC indirectly affects ES and PS through mediation of RM and DC respectively. The results also provide opportunities for improving contractor satisfaction and supplementing the contractor selection criteria for clients.

Modelling the satisfaction of contractors: the impact of client performance

An assessment of the performance of UK clients on 55 ‘case projects’ as considered by contractors is presented and used to develop models of contractors' satisfaction. Principal component analysis (PCA) reveals five dimensions to contractor satisfaction, classified in this research as (i) support provided to contractors, (ii) clients' attitude, (iii) clients' understanding of their own needs, (iv) quality of clients' brief, and (v) financial aspects of performance. Knowledge of these models should enable clients to perform better, which is conducive towards satisfactory participant performance and overall project performance. The models identify three key aspects of client performance that are found to significantly influence contractors' satisfaction levels, namely, (i) the capability of the client's representative, (ii) the client's past performance and project management experience and (iii) the financial soundness and reputation of the client. Additionally, the nature of the project and certain characteristics of contractors also influence satisfaction levels. The models demonstrated accurate predictive power and were found to be valid and robust. Clients could use the models to help improve their performance, leading to more successful project implementation. This will also promote the development of harmonious working relationships within the construction project coalition (PC).

Impact of Various Construction Contract Clauses

Construction contract types and general condition clauses have a major influence on the likelihood and degree of project success. A comprehensive empirical study was conducted for 36 very large capital construction projects completed within the past three years to assess such impacts. Two general contract types (cost reimbursible and fixed price) and 96 clauses were carefully analyzed for impacts on six measures of project performance: cost, schedule, quality, safety, and owner and contractor satisfaction. The clauses bearing most heavily on project performance are identified, and the key elements of those clauses that are most crucial to project success are discussed in detail. Other contract administration concepts such as risk allocation, respective views of owners and contractors, and incentive provisions are factually and thoroughly discussed.

Monitoring mental health contract services: a management approach.

Kern County Mental Health Department's managerial approach to contract monitoring has contributed in large part to its successful utilization of contracts. The monitor's linking role as coordinator, consultant and communicator has provided a comprehensive system designed to maintain program integrity in a positive, non-punitive fashion. Agencies are given opportunity through a Contractor Satisfaction Survey to relate their perception of the contracting relationship. A definitive policy of management of contractual non-compliance objectively outlines progressive steps to be taken which reduces subjective judgments by the monitor. Through this mechanism, Kern County has maintained long term contracts with a multiplicity of mental health, alcohol and drug abuse providers and provided quality care to its residents.