Purpose
This study investigates the extent to which the popular forms of contract adopted in the Middle East (ME) address collaboration. The purpose of this paper is to assess how collaboration features weaved into the construct of integrated project delivery (IPD) may impact projects in the ME. In this context, the study identifies features in IPD and existing delivery methods that may enable or inhibit collaboration and evaluates their impact on project success from the perspective of various contract managers in the ME.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs structured face-to-face interviews with 41 construction industry practitioners in top contract management positions in the ME to evaluate the significance of collaboration features in IPD. Data collected from the structured interviews/surveys were analyzed using statistical tools in R and Excel.
Findings
Results reveal that while experts recognize the collaboration benefits which IPD features may contribute to a project, the current contractual environment of the industry does not optimally encompass these features. The current status of project delivery does not favor IPD implementation nor does it enable its collaborative features.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the growing international body of knowledge addressing the application of collaborative contracts in construction projects, and it is innovative in evaluating collaboration features within IPD and exiting project deliveries in the ME.
Construction logistics and production control can enhance project performance. Research addressing site material management mainlyaims at reducing hauling distances and transportation costs. Other studies address the effects of logistics on labor productivity, proposing partial solutions instead of comprehensive optimization.Moreover, previous research on logistics optimization covers various stages of supply chain, but stops once materials reach the construction site. However, different techniques can be used to haulthese materials from storage areas to workplaces, including push and just-in-time techniques.These methods along with the effects they can have on crew performance still need to be studied. Pull and push techniques have been studied and applied for production control purposes. However, zooming into the level of project locations, the effects of production control approaches on crew performancestill need to be studied. This paper reviews onsite construction logistics and production control techniques, studies them at the level of locations, and proposes hypothesesto be evaluated in future research, relating logistics mechanisms and production control systems to productivity. This research is valuable due to exposing additional factors affecting labor productivity, and recommending further optimization in production planning and construction logistics.
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