Improving project communications management practices in the construction sector during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Malaysian scenario

Abstract

The construction industry remains an important economic sector that supports the growth of a nation. It is vital to maintain the industry’s momentum when facing the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, or similar in the future, to ensure employability and decent jobs for every individual in the industry, especially foreign labourers who are always regarded as vulnerable. Improving existing project communications management practices is essential to suppressing infection among labourers, however, there are only a few efforts made to understand the current condition. This study explores the communications management barriers and the potential improvement measures amid the COVID-19 outbreak sweeping across the Malaysian construction industry. The findings disclose that out of eleven communication channels, only six communications management barrier variables with eight items, and three communications management improvement measure variables with seven items, are classified as highly critical, based on a systematic literature review (SLR), and a questionnaire survey on 100 foreign labourers and management team members, respectively, where the data gathered were analysed using the Rasch measurement model. The finding also suggests that site review meetings, team meeting discussions and project reports require immediate attention to ensure the construction industry remains robust without significant interruption during the course of the pandemic.