Grounded theory of adversarial relationship Malaysian construction industry

Abstract

Malaysian construction industry has long suffered from adversarial relationship. The literature review disclosed an emerging trend globally to study the impact of “soft” issues towards stakeholders? relationship. However, there are limited studies that capitalised on this locally. Thus, the aim of this research is to develop a conceptual model based on the cause and effect of adversarial relationship, of which a grounded theory is constructed. The research questions have been explored through mixed-method research design. It began with a quantitative survey sequentially followed by a qualitative inquiry involving in-depth interviews with individuals, focusing primarily on three principal stakeholders (clients, consultants and contractors) in the industry. Postal questionnaire has been distributed to investigate the emerging critical success factors (CSFs) for local construction project and the statistical results helped to form the basis for subsequent investigation into the “soft” issues associated with the research. Interviews were carried out on individuals who were selected based on theoretical sampling strategies to gain insights from variety of respondents. The analysis resulted in the formulation of six phenomena that together formed four key components from which a grounded theory of adversarial relationship among stakeholders was constructed. The components were divided between an individual and organisational level of analysis that underpins the new theory– stakeholders? mindset. It accentuates on the opportunistic behaviours that are evident in the relationships among stakeholders, where motivations and value systems are often self-centered, in view of the lack of accountability and challenging operating environment. The theory was validated by experts through an online survey and follow-up interviews. The contribution of this research can be viewed in terms of a critical understanding on the stakeholders? adversarial mindset in the industry. The theory provided a framework for identifying suitable relationship-based strategies that can be incorporated into local procurement procedure.