Factors Affecting Contractors' Bidding Decision for Small and Medium Construction Projects

摘要

Bido-bid decisions are critical for construction contractors because the success and existence of any construction company depends on the outcomes of bidding decisions. However, this process is highly complex and involves multiple noisy data sources. Unfortunately, short timeframe for the decision-making process gives contractors limited time to crosscheck the sources and make the right decision. The purpose of this research is to investigate such factors that affect contractor's decision to bid, especially for small and medium size construction projects. The close-ended questionnaire was employed to gather data from small and medium construction firms in the upper north-eastern part of Thailand. The respondents were asked to rate each variable on a five-point Likert scale; and the RII was used to determine the relative importance of the 39 factors gathered from the questionnaire, in terms of their importance as perceived by the respondents. The results indicated that the most important factors affecting contractor's bidding strategy are project size, equipment availability, number and capabilities of firm's personnel, profitability (profit potential) and labour availability. The less significant factors include tax, bidding price, tendering method, general overhead and tendering duration. The results of this study can be used to develop a systematic decision process, which can be beneficial for companies possessing limited resources.