An Analysis of Soft Conflict Resolution Approaches in the UK Construction Industry

摘要

Planning and executing a construction project usually requires inputs and interaction of every functional staff within the project team or organization and other stakeholders such as Clients, Contractors and End Users. These interactions often lead to conflicts over schedules, priorities, technical issues and even over personality. Hence, the study sought to identify the major causes of conflict amongst key stakeholders in construction projects and to analyse the frequency and effectiveness of ‘soft’ conflict resolution approaches. A questionnaire survey was conducted on stakeholders in the UK construction industry to ascertain the nature, frequency and causes of stakeholder conflict. The use of ‘soft’ conflict resolution approaches in construction was also investigated. The study revealed that perceptions on the nature of conflict in the UK construction industry differ to some extent from real experiences. Furthermore, soft conflict resolution approaches are popular amongst construction stakeholders, are effective and should be chosen over hard line approaches. As a result, huge savings can be made when project stakeholders endeavour to apply soft conflict approaches as first choice in conflict situations.