Measuring Mutual Confidence in UK Construction Projects

Abstract

When embarking on any new construction project there will be a probability that some, if not all, participants have not worked together before. Participants, because they lack previous knowledge, will anticipate a type of behavior from the other parties befitting the behavior normally attributed to the group they belong to. If the other party is an architect they will attribute a behavior that belongs to architects in general. This paper seeks to measure this attributed behavior between the three main groups involved in construction; namely, the clients, design professionals, and contractors. It presents the results of a survey measuring the level of mutual confidence between the three groups. The implications of the survey for potential conflict and breakdown of relations are discussed.