4.6 Target Response Analysis
The sampling method used was for sampling. The target demographic included project managers/leaders, middle and senior managers who are informed about the topic, and who could make substantial contributions to the research. It is also important to remember that these individuals are hired by government service agencies and are the service members who oversee building projects (also referred to in the study as “public sector clients”). Survey questionnaires were sent to members of public sector construction clients (including project managers/leaders, middle and senior management)
Factors
Mean score
Standard deviation
Ranking
Professionalism from both parties
4.2797
1.0441
1
Achieving client and contractor satisfaction
4.200
0.8866
2
Effective communication between parties
4.1034
1.0255
3
Ensuring commitment from both parties
4.0900
1.0535
4
Attaching importance to the project by each party to ensure continuity
4.0276
0.9926
5
Ensuring trustworthiness between the parties
4.0138
1.1055
6
Conformance to contract agreement from both parties
4.0069
1.0411
7
Achievement of fairness from both parties
3.9379
0.9518
8
Ensuring good health and safety practices
3.8276
1.2153
9
Proper contract development
3.7103
1.0796
10
Adaptation to change
3.5793
1.0971
11
Ensuring flexibility in the terms of contract between the parties
3.5211
1.1091
12
Interdependence
3.3103
1.0770
13
Development of common goals and objectives
3.2621
1.0867
14
10 of the 12 factors ranked were marked as significant, i.e., they had values higher than 3.5.from the analysis provided, it was proved that seven of these factors were substantial critical factors in the maintenance of relationships between the client and the contractor. These are professionalism from both parties at 4.2797, achieving client and contractor satisfaction at 4.2000, effective communication between parties at 4.1034, ensuring commitment from both parties at 4.0900, attaching importance to project by each party to ensure continuity at 4.0276, ensuring trustworthiness between parties at 4.0138 and conformance to contract agreement by both parties at 4.0069.however there were other significant measures included providing excellent health and safety practices at 3.8276, proper contract development at 3.7103, ensuring flexibility in terms of the contract between the parties at 3.5211, interdependence at 3.3103 and development of common goals and objectives at 3.2621
Significant factors affecting the relationship between Clients and contractors
The analysis revealed seven significant factors that play a crucial role in ensuring healthy relationships between clients and contractors. These factors have a substantial impact on the project’s outcome, and their management ensures the success or failure of the construction project. These factors include
- Professionalism from both parties.
This factor is essential for the development of a seamless relationship between the client and the contractor but among all the other stakeholders involved in the construction business. Just like it was noted in the literature review, professionalism ensures the observation and respect of the operational procedures and ethics applied in the construction industry (Atuahene et al. 2017). It also entails both parties’ performance as stipulated in the law of contract without breach of the terms of the agreement. Breach refers to a situation where parties to a contract renege on the fulfillment of the terms of the deal they had signed up for. There has been a lot of talk on contractors not applying professionalism in the course of their service to the client, which has bred a lot of distrust. Not to be left out, the clients themselves sometimes fail to perform their contractual obligations by, for instance, failing to make their payments on time further hampering the implementation of the project and also creating tension between the two parties.it is therefore essential for each party to know the rights of the other so that their actions can be guided on the grounds of respect. This will ensure that after the construction of the residential projects, the client gets what they wanted in terms of quality and design, being delivered on the timeframe agreed at a cost agreed on. The contractor also receives the payment as agreed with the client and as contained in the contract that the two parties signed up for. Professionalism correctly observed and practiced ensures the creation of trust and loyalty that can open doors to possible future deals.
- Effective communications between parties
Communication is the tool that the stakeholders in the construction process used in their interaction. Through effective communication, clients and contractors exchange ideas and information on the ongoing project to achieve the objectives of the project. For effective communication to be attained, the client and contractor need to learn how to relay the information that they have to one another accurately. This creates a shared understanding and building the right collaboration that makes transmission of information and knowledge sharing easy. Without this effective communication that ensures proper relay of information and receiving the expected feedback, a healthy relationship cannot be established. Some communication principles include the hiring of advertising and media consultants in improving the efficiency of communication packaging and delivery to the client (Rahman and Alzubi, 2015).just as noted in the literature review, Atuahene et al. (2017) capture the importance of effective communication by recording that the importance of effective communication is comparable to the significance of blood in the body. Lack of communication is a significant factor in the building of long lasting relationships and partnerships among the stakeholders in the construction industry.
Communication between the clients and contractors should be treated with a lot of emphases during the project’s life cycle. (B.K Baiden et al.,2018).this is because a lack of effective communication can result in the project not being completed on time and the cost of the project being altered without the client being involved. Effective communication consists of the client being informed on the progress of the plan consistently and being briefed on the changes, if any, on the project’s life.
- Ensuring commitment from both parties
Commitment from the parties emphasizes the areas vital for the delivery of the essential stages of the project that are essential for the successful completion of the entire project within the stipulated time, safety, and cost estimates. Commitment to the construction time has been considered one of the most important criteria to find in the life of a successful project. Construction time refers to the project construction duration, as had been pointed out by Rahma & Alzubi (2015), it is measured by comparing the actual and planned duration of the project. For this to be observed, the project team’s stakeholders need to be committed to the project schedule. The budget estimate of the project from inception to completion also requires commitment. The cost variation between the actual cost spent in the project construction and the budgeted cost of the project should be insignificant. Clients attach a lot of importance to their projects being completed within the budgeted estimates. Procurement and integration is another vital area of commitment (Meng, 2011). This requires proper management of the supply chain network by developing useful linkages and connections among the players in the construction industry with the main of ensuring the customer gets the best possible outcome. Therefore, it is clear that for a contractor to establish a healthy relationship with the client, maintaining a healthy relationship with the other stakeholders is also crucial. The relationship with other stakeholders can be short term collaborative or long term collaborative, depending on the project’s objectives and the quality of the work done by the stakeholders. Proper management of the relationship between the contractor and other stakeholders goes a long way in stamping out poor communication problems, lack of trust, confrontation, problem escalation, and lack of continuous improvement. Other areas of commitment include customer leadership, sustainability which ensures that an environment full of lasting social and economic benefit is created, health and safety and quality design which ensures that all the needs of the key stakeholders are taken into consideration, the bond that glues together the relationship between the contractor and the client is therefore directly dependent on the commitment shown by both.it is the output of a series of inputs put in place by both parties to ensure the achievement of the goals and objectives of the project. Both clients and contractors require commitment and enthusiasm to be more responsive, adaptable, and considerate to each other’s needs.
- Attaching importance to the project to ensure continuity
Channeling energy and resources to a project or activity that one considers to be a priority is a regular occurrence in everyday life. Similarly, clients and contractors are also expected to attach importance to the construction of the project to build a healthy relationship between the client and the contractor. Connecting significance to the project ensures constant improvement of the ongoing project, which brings about continuous delivery of higher value resulting in the construction firm having an advantage in its competitive edge. Attachment of importance also ensures that certain stages of les significance to the project are either eliminated or given minimum focus. The desire to have a finished outcome of high quality should push the client and the contractor to give their all in terms of resources and efforts to the ongoing construction project. This helps build a healthier relationship between these two parties (B.K. Baiden et al., 2018)
- Developing trust between the parties
The seriousness of a project is determined by the trust the parties involved have developed for one another.it is surprising that it does not feature in the top three of the factors important in the development of relationships between clients and contractors. However, its importance still cannot be underestimated. The genesis of every well-meaning project is the development of trust among the parties involved. The importance of faith in this relationship is comparable to the foundation of a building because the absence of trust will terminate the link in the short term. Trust within the project is associated with several outcomes that contribute to the project; such factors include knowledge sharing, the commitment of involved parties, team satisfaction, and the formation of social networks. Trust, however, is a complex phenomenon with various meanings and impacts depending on the type of team and context (B.K Baiden et al., 2018). Therefore, it requires all the parties to have trusted for there to be uniformity rather than the trust only being developed by one party. Trust is, therefore, crucial in building a healthy relationship between the parties involved in the project construction process and determining the project’s outcome under construction. It is, therefore, essential that the client and the contractor develop mutual trust for one another.
- Conformance to contract agreements from both parties
Conformance to contract agreements from both parties ranks at number 7 in the list of significant factors that affect the relationship between the client and the contractor. The contract document, of which both the client and the contractors are signatories, clearly specifies in detail the expected duties and responsibilities of the client and the contractor. Legal disputes in construction arise when the parties to the contract, i.e., the client and contractor, fail to perform their contractual obligations as stipulated from the agreement. In other words, accepting and executing the commitment to perfection according to the stipulated terms goes a long way in bringing the client and the contractor together. Once both parties conform to the terms of the contract, it becomes difficult for one to be shortchanged or cheated by another party. This will ensure peaceful coexistence between the parties and create a good working relationship between these two parties.
- Achieving contractor and client satisfaction
Client satisfaction is regarded as a function of comparison between an individual’s perception of an outcome and its expectation for that outcome. Ranking at number 2 in the list of the tested factors affecting the relationship between the client and the contractor. Client and contractor satisfaction comes only second after the professionalism of both parties. It shows it is a crucial significant factor that shapes up the relationship between the client and the contractor. According to Rahman & Alzubi (2015), client satisfaction has remained elusive and challenging for some considerable duration of time. Clients in the construction sector widely experience dissatisfaction. This is caused by many aspects but is widely attributable to overrunning project costs, delayed completion, inferior quality, and incompetent service providers, including contractors and consultants.
A range of models exists that may be used in studying the satisfaction levels of numerous members of the project construction supply chain. However, only a few are appropriate and sufficient to evaluate the satisfaction of the construction clients. Not too many models have been published regarding the use of formal models of service quality concerning the research on client satisfaction. Client satisfaction thus continues to remain a subtle issue within the project construction circles.in the construction industry, the determination of client satisfaction could be achieved by measuring the degree to which a physical facility, which also the product, and the construction process, which is considered to be the service, meet or even exceed what the client had been expecting.it is, therefore, essential to define, understand control and manage these expectations that the client has to make the client feels that his needs are being met. These demands should be combining both the conformance to specifications (the project’s production should be the same as it was expected to be) and fitness for use (the ability of the product to satisfy the real needs of the customers).although all the stakeholders in the construction industry have a role to play in creating the satisfaction of the immediate partner in the supply chain, the contractor performs a significant role in managing these roles with the main focus being the achievement of the comfort of the client.
The contractors should be doing this, providing the necessary resources needed, consistently enhancing and improving the project’s organization and the worth of the project’s final product.
The contractor’s ability to manage all the factors involved in the delivery of the final project, including elements of cost, quality, safety, among others, contribute to the client’s satisfaction since they eventually lead to the high quality of the finished product. When the client is satisfied, the contractor will also be satisfied since the main aim is to package a product that the client will be happy to have
CHAPTER 5: RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
5.1 Introduction
This chapter aims to present how the objectives and objectives of this research have been addressed and to recommend and conclude based on the findings on the goals of the study. This chapter also contains study restrictions, practical consequences, and suggestions for future studies.
There exists so much literature that dwells on the talks of contractor and client relationships in the construction industry. A gap, however, exists that requires urgent studies and filling on the management of this relationship to arrive at a point where both parties feel their needs have been taken care of. Among the 14 factors tested for affecting the relationship between clients and contractors, seven stood out to be significant. These were professionalism from both parties, communication that is effective and produces the expected feedback, achievement of satisfaction of both the client and the contractor, ensuring commitment from both parties, attaching importance to the project by each party to ensure continuity, ensuring trustworthiness between the parties and conformance to contract agreement from both parties. The other factors were considered insignificant in their effect on the relationship between the client and the relationship. These included achievement of fairness from both parties, ensuring good health and safety practices, proper contract development, adaptation to change, ensuring flexibility in terms of the contract, interdependence, and development of common goals and objectives.
5.2 Findings
Objective 1 was to examine the factors influencing the efficiency of the relationship between clients and contractors. The research demonstrated the need to strengthen the relationship of the company contractor. Open and truthful contact, accompanied by confidence and fairness, has been described as the primary factor affecting client contractor ties.
The aim of Objective 2 was to examine weaknesses in the quality of operation of contractors. Based on the study, the critical shortcoming in service quality is the contractor’s competence, accompanied by a lack of transparent and truthful contact from the contractor.
Competence related deficiencies included the inability to deliver large-scale projects, the failure to plan and manage resources, the inability to compile and manage time and cost schedules, the lack of project management skills, and the inability to deliver projects on time and cost.
In summary, effective communication is essential for the amicable settlement of conflicts, rather than for the legal solution of disputes to be pursued. It is also necessary that integrity and transparency are always preserved when dealing with the client. The accurate declaration of statements has been described as a shortcoming under Objective 2, and this is consistent with the results of Objective 1. Various types of deceptive communication have been described as prevalent, such as the manipulation of the contracting company’s function and the misappropriation of resources and financial capabilities.
Objective 3 was to examine whether clients of the United Kingdom public sector have begun to use alternative procurement methods to strengthen client contractor ties and service quality. Responses to this question showed that only a small number of South African public sector clients are aware of alternative forms of contracting strategies aimed at enhancing contractor relationships and quality of service. Several clients in the public sector tend to advocate the use of conventional procurement methods.
5.3 Practical Implication
This research contributes to the practice by demonstrating that client contractor relationships are likely to improve if contractors focus on building trust with their clients and recognizing the importance of communicating openly and honestly to their clients. Open and honest communication between contractors and clients is also likely to improve contractor quality of service. When key contractor competencies such as resource management, timely and cost delivery of projects, and overall project management are developed, this is likely to improve service quality.
It is necessary for the appointed consultant, who is the interface between the client and the contractor, to monitor the contractor’s competence and to contractually address any deficiencies in this regard, to ensure that the projects are successfully delivered and that the client receives value from the services provided. The consultant’s role is essential in ensuring that claims are made only where necessary and fully explained to the client.
5.4 Conclusion
The main research question for this study was, “What are the areas that construction clients and contractors need to address to foster better relationships and quality of service?” And it was based on the problem that a short-term outlook was adopted by the contractors, which impacted the relationship between the contractor and the quality of the service. The research issue has been addressed through the objective and objectives of this research.
This research improves the understanding of the client’s needs through appropriate survey questions, where client perspectives have been sought, on the factors that influence the quality of the relationship between the client and the contractor and their perceived deficiencies in the quality of the contractor service. This research concludes that open and honest communication, followed by trust and fairness, is the client’s view of the primary factor influencing client contractor relationships (Wiley et al., 2009). To provide a clear understanding of the research, DeRosia and Christensen (2009) argued that adequate information on the project or study should be provided to the participants. An example of this is the publication of a magazine detailing the study, as this will help to understand and is likely to increase the level of cooperation. Although the researcher provided the respondents with an explanation of the research and the objectives, this has not stimulated the response. The response rate could have been increased by adopting the approaches suggested by the authors mentioned above.
5.5 Recommendations
Due to the limitations of the fewer number of participants conveniently sampled for the study to represent the different categories of contractors that were highlighted because of the factor of time limitations, future studies studying the same matter should, therefore, endeavor to create more time for the research and incorporate more participants.
Future studies on related topics of study that investigate components of the relationship between the contractor and the client should capture more factors to further critically interrogate this subject. This is especially so since this study only settled 14 elements. Engaged respondents were not given the room to add further other factors that were significant to them in the improvement of the relationship between the two parties. The tool used in the data collection for future studies should also be designed in such a way that the respondents can add more factors that they feel are critical in improving the relationship between these two essential parties in the project construction. Furthermore, the study did not have a model of establishing any level of interdependence between the factors identified. Future studies should provide a room for providing a statistical analysis that indicates relationships between the designated parties.
Further research needs to be done on areas related to this topic to fully explore factors that can better create an environment where all stakeholders involved in the construction business work in conditions that maximizes their output. These include the investigation on the roles of relationship development on addressing the contract related conflicts and the viability of contractual relationships in improving the performance of stakeholders in the construction industry. These studies will further ensure that accumulated knowledge will see more healthy relationships built in the construction industry.
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