Conflict handling styles used in re-measurement construction contracts in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Re-measurement contracts often suffer from massive conflicts between the consultant and contractor during the post-contract stage. A high diversity of multidisciplinary involvement with more stakeholders occurs in this stage. These conflicts influence the project positively and negatively. In a re-measurement contract, experts use different styles to handle these different dispute types during a post-contract stage. Thus, this study aimed at investigating the use of conflict handling styles to resolve conflicts encountered by consultants and contractors in re-measurement contracts during the post-contract stage of Sri Lankan construction projects. A qualitative research approach was selected using semi-structured interviews as the data collection technique to attain the study’s aim. The empirical data collected from the twelve interviews were analyzed using manual content analysis. The scope of the study was limited to the post-contract stage of re-measurement construction projects which use ICTAD/SBD/02. As per the research findings, interviewees identified forty-three (43) conflicts. Thirty-nine (39) and forty-one (41) conflicts by consultants and contractors in re-measurement contracts, respectively, during the post-contract stage of Sri Lankan construction projects. Twenty-two (22) conflicts, most common to both the consultant and the contractor, were identified, whereas Impracticable design and Consultant changes by the client and the consultant were identified as unique to the consultant, and contradictory record-keeping and Less experiences were noted as unique to the contractor. After considering the conflict-handling styles, the consultants identified eleven (11) conflict-handling styles applicable to solve thirty-nine (39) conflicts, and contractors identified ten (10) conflict-handling styles that can solve (41) conflicts during the interviews. Nine (9) conflict-handling styles were unique to the consultant and seven (7) conflict-handling styles were unique to the contactor. Finally, the study revealed that the majority of conflict-handling styles are common to both consultants and contractors. Consultants and contractors used only a few conflict-handling styles, unique for each, during the post-contract stage in re-measurement contracts.