Ain Shams Engineering Journal xxx (xxxx) xxx

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Ain Shams Engineering Journal

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Study the delays and conflicts for construction projects and their mutual
relationship: A review
Junaid Tariq ⇑, S. Shujaa Safdar Gardezi
Department of Civil Engineering, Capital University of Science and Technology (CUST), Islamabad Expressway, Kahuta Road, Zone- V, 44000 Islamabad, Pakistan

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Delays and conflicts (D&Cs) are adversely affecting the performance of construction projects. They have
Received 11 September 2021 separately been addressed by many authors but the mutual relationship among them is still a key grey
Revised 26 February 2022 area. Therefore, this study aims to explore this hidden relationship. Literature was reviewed to identify
Accepted 16 April 2022
the previous ranking of D&Cs causes to develop a global ranking and to explore other hidden aspects
Available online xxxx
of mutual relationships. Data were classified through Jenks optimization that resulted in the identifica-
tion of, the top five causes of D&Cs in a global perspective and commonality among them. Among the
Keywords:
top five identified global causes of D&Cs, the common causes are; (1) financial problems on behalf of
Construction delays
Conflicts
the owner, (2) Change orders/ Variations, and (3) Lack of communication/ Poor relationship. Such explo-
Mutual relationship ration of hidden relationships among D&Cs will not only improve construction management strategies
Common causes but will also define new pathways for future research to secure project success parameters.
Jenks optimization Ó 2022 THE AUTHORS. Published by Elsevier BV on behalf of Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-
nd/4.0/).

1. Introduction
The importance of the construction sector for any economy is
well established in the existing literature. Construction activities
are considered as the mainstay of the global economy due to a sig-
nificant role in worldwide GDP (gross domestic product) and
employment generation [1]. Important construction sector projects
play a critical role in the composition of a healthy society and
improve the overall social reputation of countries by fulfilling their
social demands [2]. Any issue faced by the progress of the con-
struction sector would impact the worldwide economy.
For the last few decades, the construction industry went
through many evolutionary changes due to technological improve-
ments. Despite extensive scientific work and improved manage-
ment techniques, construction projects are still unable to resolve
multiple issues such as delays, conflicts, productivity loss, poor
performance, coordination, and many more. Poor performance of
construction projects is a global issue [3]. Many authors character-
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: junaidtariq.ce@must.edu.pk (J. Tariq).
Peer review under responsibility of Ain Shams University.
Production and hosting by Elsevier
ized the construction industry with the terms high risk, low mar-
gin, poor performing, poor productivity, over-ambitious, wasteful,
hazardous, fragmented, uncertain, and temporary [4]. This diversi-
fied picture expresses hard and challenging issues for the construc-
tion industry to deal with. Construction project D&Cs are the two
significant issues among many.
Most construction projects face schedule delays that result in
further related issues [5]. Authors defined delay as the time
exceeding the specified contract date or the date agreed by the pro-
ject parties [6,7]. It is a project’s deviation from a targeted schedule
and is characterized as a common problem. Delay in construction
projects is a universally admitted issue [8]. Small or large construc-
tion projects, developing or developed economies, no one has an
exception to project delays. Likewise, conflicts in construction pro-
jects are also considered a global and unavoidable phenomenon. To
have a conflict-free project is an idealistic approach that is not pos-
sible in real-time [9]. The occurrence of conflicts in the construc-
tion industry is a routine matter as conflicts seem to be an
integral part of construction projects [10]. In existing research con-
flict has been defined in multiple ways. It is a disagreement among
the project’s internal stakeholders originated as a result of pressure
to produce the required output [11]. It may be a situation that
arises as a result of differences in opinion, objectives, approach,
goals, and interests among project individuals or organization
groups [12].

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2022.101815
2090-4479/Ó 2022 THE AUTHORS. Published by Elsevier BV on behalf of Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Please cite this article as: J. Tariq and S. Shujaa Safdar Gardezi, Study the delays and conflicts for construction projects and their mutual relationship: A
review, Ain Shams Engineering Journal, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2022.101815
J. Tariq and S. Shujaa Safdar Gardezi Ain Shams Engineering Journal xxx (xxxx) xxx

A significant number of authors have separately addressed both and commonality among them was identified through a data clus-
these issues (D&Cs) in their studies. Most of the work is related to tering technique Jenks optimization [27]. It is a useful technique
the identification of causes, impacts, and management strategies when data is intended to be divided into a few data classes [28].
for D&Cs. Elhusseiny et al. [13], carried out a study in Egypt to The classes which contain the highest significance were then
identify the significant causes of delays and expressed their mitiga- selected. The outcome of this study will help control construction
tion measures. Another study by Elhusseiny et al. [14] reported a project performance and will also provide potential grey areas
systematic framework for the analysis of different delay factors for future research.
in the perspective of the Egyptian construction industry. Jonbi
et al. [15], identified various delay factors and associated claims
2. Literature review
in the perspective of commercial buildings. Sunjka & Jacob [16],
carried out a study from the perspective of the Nigerian construc-
2.1. Delays
tion industry. They identified the important causes of delays and
their potential effect on project performance. Kraiem & Diekmann
Different forms of construction delays exist which can under-
[17], expressed different forms of delay occurrence in their study.
mine project success. Many authors categorized construction
Aneetha & Kalidindi [18], expressed the interrelationship among
delays as, avoidable (non-excusable / non-compensable) and
various factors causing a delay in a construction project. Chandu
unavoidable (excusable/compensable), Critical & non-critical and
et al. [19], provided a methodology for the ranking of time overrun
Concurrent & non-concurrent delay [29,30]. These types of delays
factors in the perspective of residential building projects. Likewise,
interact with other issues in a project life cycle uniquely and
different aspects of conflicts have also been addressed in various
impart different impacts on project performance. Therefore, it is
studies. Mitkus & Mitkus [20], carried out a study to identify the
important to understand the vulnerability of real-time projects
causes of conflicts for the construction industry. Ng et al. [21], car-
towards these different forms of delays.
ried out a study to identify how conflicts evolve and escalate
Construction project delays have the potential to impart multi-
within the project. They also enlightened the conflict management
ple hazardous impacts and can adversely affect the overall project
system in their study. Chen et al. [22], identified the impact of var-
performance. Such impacts result in the disappearance of eco-
ious forms of conflicts on project cost. Elziny et al. [23], carried out
nomic benefits for a project. Various studies have been conducted
a comprehensive review study to identify the causes of disputes
so far to identify the impact of delays. According to Memon et al.
and their resolution techniques. Their study provides an insight
[31], time overrun is ultimately a cost overrun which is one of
towards the optimal resolution of conflicting issues occurring in
the important performance indicators for a project. Delays are
construction projects. All these studies and many others as
characterized as a loss of efficiency and productivity in the con-
expressed in the literature review, have addressed both D&Cs as
struction industry [32]. Delays can cause multiple issues in the
a separate phenomenon. The only relationship between D&Cs
construction industry like legal battles, increases in costs, further
observed from the existing literature is that both are potential
project delays, productivity, financial losses, and contract failures
sources of each other. Delays negatively affect the project partici-
[33,34]. According to Trauner [35], delays adversely affect the
pants in perspective of work progress, mutual relationship & com-
interests of project stakeholders by increasing the cost associated
munication, monetary matters and can lead towards conflicts,
with the project. Delays are considered influential factors damag-
disputes, and other legalities among project parties [24,25].
ing the success profile of most of the projects [36,37].
Whereas, on another hand, Aibinu & Jagboro [26] also expressed
Various studies for the identification of major causes of delays
that conflicts, disputes, and lawsuits are the potential sources of
have been carried out in different regions of the world. Faridi &
delay in construction sector projects.
El-Sayegh [38] carried out a study in UAE and found that late
No such study was found in the existing literature that can
approval of drawings, delayed decisions, and improper planning
clearly express the mutual interaction among D&Cs and their
are the major causes of delays. According to Assaf & Al-Hejji [6],
impact on project success parameters. These issues (D&Cs) have
the unavailability of workers and financial issues were found to
deep roots and multiple hidden relationships which adversely
be the major causes of delays in KSA. Whereas, Rahman et al.
affect the project performances. To what extent D&Cs possess com-
[39] identified inflation and political instability as a major cause
monality or difference among them, how they interact and evolve
of delays in Bangladesh. There is no consensus among authors as
through project lifecycle is still a key grey area to be explored.
the significant causes vary based on project type, region, nature
Therefore, this study is the first step towards the identification of
of construction industry, firm size, experience, cultural differences,
hidden relationships among D&Cs. This review study contributes
technical expertise, etc. This lack of consensus is due to the unique
to the body of knowledge in a way that this is the pioneer study
characteristic of construction projects [40]. Despite this, still there
to address the following;
is some commonality among causes of delays in a worldwide per-
spective. This commonality has been expressed in Table 6 in the
 Identification of common impacts of delays and conflicts.
findings section of this study.
 Identification of common concerns for delays and conflicts
Some delays have been reported more influential than others.
among different countries.
Besides the major causes of delays, various authors have presented
 Establishes the relationship between delays and conflicts based
the ranking of potential causes of delays in their studies. A survey
on existing literature.
to such an extent has been presented in Table 1.
 Provides a comparison between positive impacts of delays and
conflicts.
 Identification of common causes of delays and conflicts among 2.2. Conflicts
the top-ranked causes.
 Provides a solid ground for future research to explore the hid- Due to the complex nature of the construction industry and the
den relationship among delays and conflicts to improve con- involvement of cross-cultural teams the occurrence of conflicts in
struction management strategies. construction projects is also considered a universal phenomenon.
Different types of conflicts occur in construction projects and
Some of the aspects have been addressed on the basis of a crit- impart different impacts to project success. Conflicts are classified
ical literature review. Whereas, the global ranking of D&Cs factors as task, relationship, and process conflicts [94]. These conflicts
2
J. Tariq and S. Shujaa Safdar Gardezi Ain Shams Engineering Journal xxx (xxxx) xxx

Table 1
Top five causes of construction project delays in existing the literature.

Reference Top Causes

[41] Poor project management, Poor contracting approach, Poor construction Procedures, Interdependencies, Weak contractor’s prior evaluation, Delayed
design reviews
[32] Contractor’s financial issues, Delayed approvals, Delayed material supply, Improper site organization, Poor coordination, Inefficient resource planning and
scheduling
[6] Changes by the client, Delayed payments, Contractor’s Poor planning and scheduling, Contractor’s poor management, Labor availability, Contractor’s
financial issues
[33] Poor contractor’s planning, Poor contractor’s site management, Insufficient contractor’s experience, Client’s financial issues, Subcontractors issues,
Availability of material
[42] Contractor’s financial problems, Demands for changes by the owner
[43] Financial uncertainties, External risks, Design risks, Risk associated with efficient management, Construction risks
[44] Funding problems
[45] Delayed payments, Owner/contractor’s financial problems, Changes in contract, Poor economic situation, Problems related to the procurement of material
[16] Political instability, contractor’s poor planning, Compensation payments issues, Wrong selection of contracting parties by the owner, Unfavorable weather
conditions
[46] Lack of funds for equipment, Poor time estimation, Payment issues, Variation orders, Poor cost estimation
[47] Financial issues and economic conditions
[48] Imported materials issues, Unrealistic project timeframe, Problems regarding client-related material, Land acquisition, Demand for changes
[49] Delayed site possession, Change orders, Unfavorable climatic conditions
[50] Owner’s financial problems, Lack of contractor’s experience, Changes by the client, Delayed site possession, Project’s funding issues
[51] Changes in scope, Payment issues, Inefficient project’s monitoring and control, Issues related to project cost, Negative political impact
[52] Fuel shortage, Contractors cash flow issue, Foreign currency issues for import of material and equipment, Improper payment procedure by the owner,
Equipment availability
[53] Equipment availability, Communication problems, Subcontractor’s issues, Lack of experience of design professionals, Change orders by the client
[8] Political instability, No freedom of movement, Preference to the lowest bid, Payment issues related to the client, Availability of equipment
[54] Availability of material, Poor project scheduling, Delayed material supply, Unavailability of skilled labor, Project complexity
[55] Inflation, Poor budgeting schedule
[56] Funding issues related to project, Poor prior planning, Equipment related issues, Delayed material supply
[57] Political involvement, Countries’ economic condition, Delayed material testing and reporting, Late contractor’s payment, Poor delay management strategy
[58] Financial problems, Contractor’s poor management, Issues in procuring material, Lacking technical efficiency, Increase in price of materials
[59] Contractor’s financial capability, Delayed payments by the owner, Political instability, Lack of communication, Lack of required equipment
[60] Issues related to design team, Changes by the owner, Weather effect, Unfavorable site condition, Delayed deliveries of work
[61] Source of finance at the start, Planning issues related to the scope of work, Management of working capital during execution, Quality concerns
[62] Problems related to design, Delayed delivery of material, Financial issues related to the owner, Delayed decision making, Quality concerns, and mistakes at
contractors end
[63] Financial and payments problems, Inefficient management of the contract, Availability of material, Poor cost estimates, Inflation, and price changes
[64] Lack of proper site management and supervision, Unanticipated ground conditions, Delayed decisions, Changes by the owner, Required variations of work
[65] Variation orders by the client, Client’s financial difficulties, Clients’ experience
[38] Delayed Approval of drawing, Inefficient prior planning, Delayed decisions by the client
[66] Financial and payment issues, Poor planning and management, Poor contract management, Poor communication among members
[67] Change orders, Changes in the scope of work, Contractor’s financial issues, Delayed decisions, Poor planning, Design changes, Poor coordination
[68] Inefficient project management
[69] Insufficient technical staff by the contractor, Contractor’s financial problems, Required equipment, Availability of equipment, Material’s availability
[70] Design problems, Change orders, Delay in the issuance of NOC’s for design, Delayed approvals and permissions
[5] Delayed work payments, No training for workers, Improper waste management, Impractical contract duration, Mistakes
[71] Payments and financial problems at client’s end, Changes by client, Unforeseen ground conditions, Poor labor productivity, Poor planning and scheduling
[72] Economical and financial problems of the client, Availability of required equipment, Lack of contractor’s experience, Materials availability, Equipment
inefficiency
[73] Contractor’s financial issues, Owner’s financial problems, Issues in drawing, Issues related to subcontractor, Issues related to equipment
[74] Delayed payment, Poor cost estimates, Overlooking complexity factor, Financial and funding problems, Poor supervision
[75] Payments and financial issues, Poor planning of the project, Delayed material supply, Impact of site conditions/ Poor investigation, Improper Site
management
[76] Contractor’s financial problems, Owner’s financial issues, Bad performance by subcontractor, Material procurement issues related to contractor, Issues with
drawings
[77] The financial difficulty for a contractor, Financial problems related to the owner, Required equipment, Delayed payments, Subcontractors bad performance
[78] Design issues, Impractical time frame, Delayed governmental permissions and approvals, inaccurate estimates, Variation orders
[79] Subcontractor’s bad performance, Inefficient staff of contractor, Poor Planning and scheduling, Contractor’s poor project management, Client’s delayed
decisions
[80] Poor project scheduling, Inexperienced labor, Inexperienced design professionals, Bad relationships among workers, Poor project planning and scheduling
[81] Change orders, Impractical contract duration, delayed and excessive change orders, Delayed work payments, Poor contractor’s project planning, and
scheduling
[82] Client’s interference, Inexperienced contractor, Financial issues, Poor labor productivity, Delayed decisions
[83] Variation orders, Delayed decisions by the client, Design Errors
[84] Delayed decisions, Change orders, Unrealistic time durations, Improper contract specifications, Contractor’s financial issues
[85] Issues related to permissions for work, Design issues, Client’s delayed decisions, and demand for changes
[86] Inexperienced contractor, Improper site management and supervision, Poor planning and scheduling, Design changes by client
[87] Improper Planning, Subcontractors related issues
[88] Changes by the owner, Errors in drawing, Poor work performance by the contractor, Inexperienced consultant, Delayed instructions by the consultant
[89] Inexperienced working members, Availability of labor
[90] Availability of resources, Contractor’s financial issues, Organizational issues, Design problems, Extra work
[91] Delayed payment to the contractor, Increase in prices
[92] Payments and financial issues, Nonconformance to contract conditions, Poor site management, Governmental policies, Poor planning
[93] Poor commitment, Poor site management, No coordination at the site, Poor planning, Ambiguous scope

3
J. Tariq and S. Shujaa Safdar Gardezi
have different modes of occurrence and behave uniquely every Table 2
time they occur at various levels of the project life cycle. Top five causes of construction project conflicts in the existing literature.
Like delays, conflicts also have the potential to undermine the Reference
project’s productivity that leads to project failure. They have many [103]
drawbacks like internal fighting, poor relationships, and misunder- [104]
standings which can adversely affect the performance of individu-
als in an organization [95]. Effective conflict management can [105]
contain its negative impact. Conflicts can negatively affect the rela- [106]
tionship among individuals, their performance and can create a [24]
trust deficit [96,97]. Such issues can reduce productivity and can [107]
lead to project delays, cost overruns, and disputes. The existence [108]
of conflict can damage a project’s sustainability [96]. According
[100]
to Park & Jung [98], in Korean construction sector projects, on aver-
age conflicts among external stakeholders caused delays of around
3.6 years and a 290% increase in cost. According to Yates & Hard- [109]
castle [99], conflicts adversely affect both direct and indirect pro- [110]
ject costs. Conflicts result in cost overrun for the project as a
heavy cost is involved in conflict resolution [21]. [111]
Various authors identified major causes of conflicts in their
studies. According to Maiti & Choi [100], workers’ awareness and [112]
poor organizational management are the major factors causing
[113]
conflict in the Korean construction industry. Li et al. [101] found
that in the Chinese construction industry unilateral communica- [114]
tion is the major factor causing conflict. Whereas, the major causes [115]
of conflicts in Tanzania were found to be payment delays and cul- [116]
tural differences [102]. Like delays, due to the unique nature of
[117]
construction projects and varying dynamics of different geograph-
ical locations, the reported major causes of conflicts are also not [118]
the same everywhere. Despite this, still there is some commonality
[9]
among causes of conflicts from a worldwide perspective. This com-
monality has been expressed in Table 7 in the findings section of
this study. [119]
Besides the major causes of conflicts, various authors have pre-
sented the ranking of potential causes of conflicts in their studies.
[120]
The top five influential causes of conflicts obtained from existing
literature are expressed in Table 2. [121]
2.3. Relationship between delays and conflicts
[122]
Despite being two different entities having different manage- [123]
[124]
ment strategies, the literature provides a strong relationship
between them. Construction project D&Cs are mutually related [125]
and both are the potential source of each other. [20]
[21]
[126]
2.3.1. Delays as a potential source of conflict [127]
Extensive research work has already been performed to estab- [128]
lish the argument that delays are the potential source of conflicts
[129]
in construction projects. They negatively affect the project partici-
pants in perspective of work progress, mutual relationship & com- [130]
munication, monetary matters and can lead to conflicts, disputes,
and other legalities among project parties [24,25]. The negative
[131]
effect of delay on project stakeholders results into the occurrence
of conflicts, disputes, and legal fights [133,134]. Shrivas & Singla
[135] found that delays adversely affect the project success param- [132]
eters. They further argued that a timely and efficient management
strategy can prevent delays from becoming more severe issues
thus avoiding the occurrence of disputes. Project delays adversely
affect project schedule, cost and are a potential source of the con-
flicting environment within an organization that can even lead to a
project failure [32]. A study in Tanzania explored that schedule
delays, budget overrun, adverse social influence, problems related 2.3.2. Conflict as a potential source of delay
to resources and conflicting issues occur as a result of project Similarly, according to the existing literature conflicts are also
delays [30]. considered as the potential source of delays in construction pro-
Based upon the studies above, the transformation of delay into jects. Aibinu & Jagboro [26] expressed that conflicts, disputes,
conflict is shown in Fig. 1. and lawsuits are the potential sources of delay in construction sec-
4
Ain Shams Engineering Journal xxx (xxxx) xxx
Top Causes
Interpersonal interaction/ relationship
People (relationship), Process (Planning/Approach), Project issues
(nature/complexity)
Change of scope, Change conditions, Delay, Disruption,
Acceleration
Management, Culture, Communications, Design, Economics
Scope changes, Weather, Restricted site access
Misunderstandings, Unpredictability
Unrealistic expectations, Contract documents, Communications,
Lack of team spirit, Changes
Employees awareness, Discriminatory treatment, Not
considering the employees on the key decisions, Cumbersome
objection regarding the dispute procedure, Varied work activities
Payment, Performance, Delay, Negligence, Quality
Contractor related (delays in work progress), Contract related,
Design related (inadequate specifications), Owner related
(payment delays), External factors (legal and economic factors)
Schedules, Project priorities, Manpower resources, Technical
issues, Administrative procedures
Goals/Priority Definition, Personality, Communication, Politics,
Administrative Procedures
External involvement/Legalities/protest, Compensation issues,
Location selection
Varying interests
An incomplete contract
Complexity in the construction technologies, Increasingly
specialized division of labor
Delay in Payment, Contractual Claims, Public Interruption, Poor
communication, Differing site conditions
Delays in payments, Variations in contract, Difference in
evaluation, Lack of communication, Design errors
Differing site condition, Local people obstruction, Difference in
change order evaluation, Errors and omission in design, Excessive
quantity of works
Everyone not getting paid, Lack of stakeholders involved in the
design phase, inadequate contract documentation, Not
communicating issues timely, Improper record-keeping
Varying conditions, Interpretation, Workplace conditions,
Communications, Law
Poor financial projections on the client’s side, Poor public
relationship between the project people and the public, Lack of
funds, Change of the scope of works due to clients’ requirement
instability, Deliberate blockage of information flow
Management, Communication, People, Contract documents
Delay, Unrealistic expectations
Change Orders, Pre-Award Design, Pre-Construction, Quality
Assurance
Uncertainty, Contractual problems, Opportunistic behavior
Improper communication
Communication issues
Communication issues
Scope changes, Entrance of new member to the team
Behavioral problems, contractual problems, Technical problems
due to uncertainty and low experience
Contractual matters, Variations/changes
Extension of time, Payment, Quality of technical specification
Lack of communication, Distrust, Misinterpretations of contracts,
Uncertainties of role and responsibilities, An us versus them
posture based on an imbalance in risk allocations.
Budget overrun, Outstanding payments, Different percentage of
claim submission and certification, Number of days behind
programmed, Liquidated damages
Inadequate contractor‘s management, Supervision, and
coordination, Delay or suspension of works, Failure to plan and
execute the changes of works, Failure to understand and
correctly bid or price the works
J. Tariq and S. Shujaa Safdar Gardezi
tor projects. According to Harmon [136], conflicts can cause vari-
ous issues like schedule delay, increase in project cost, Poor pro-
ductivity, financial losses, and poor working relationships.
Honrao & Desai [137] conducted a study on infrastructure projects
in India and found that cost increases, schedule delays, disturbance
to traffic flow, and conflicts are the important issues causing the
delay. Venkateswaran & Murugasan [138] identified the causes of
delays in the perspective of road over bridge construction projects
in India. They found that acquiring land, extensive stakeholder
involvement, conflicts, disputes, and lawsuits are the critical
causes of delay. According to Wilks [139], the Dubai metro faced
extensive schedule delays and cost overrun as a result of disputes
arising due to demands for changes in design and scope of work.
Mahdi & Soliman [79] characterized conflicts between stakehold-
ers as a significant cause of delay among other critical causes.
According to Assaf et al. [140], important causes of delays in con-
struction sector projects are late approval of drawings, financial
issues, demands for changes in design, conflicts between subcon-
tractors, delayed decisions, bureaucratic involvement, and avail-
ability of skilled and unskilled labor.
Based upon the studies above, the transformation of conflict
into delay is shown in Fig. 2.
All forms of delays are harmful because they result in financial
losses [41]. As no positive aspect of delay was reported from the
literature, therefore it can be concluded that delays only impart
negative effects on project performance. However, Conflicts pos-
sess both positive and negative attributes. All forms of conflicts
do not impart a negative impact on the project. Irrespective of rela-
tional conflicts there exist project requirement conflicts which can
improve performance, productivity, and relationship among team
members [96]. Disagreement as a result of conflict can produce
positive outcomes and can be beneficial in the perspective of pro-
ject performance [141]. A comparison of the positive impacts of
construction delays and conflicts is given in Table 3.
The question arises that to what extent these requirements con-
flicts are beneficial. According to Loosemore et al. [142], beneficial
conflicts should only be permitted as long as they are not compro-
mising project constraints and are producing positive results. No
such study exists so far that can further elaborate on this extent.
Furthermore, no study exists that can provide a comparison
between the positive and negative outcomes of conflicts for real-
time projects.
3. Research methodology
A detailed literature review was carried out regarding construc-
tion project delays, conflicts, and their mutual relationship.
Research articles relevant to the topic were selected in the perspec-
tive of keywords ‘‘construction delays + conflicts + mutual relation-
ship ‘‘, by using Google Scholar, Scopus, and Science web. Literature
was carefully examined to cover all existing data regarding D&Cs
that occurred in all types of civil engineering construction projects.
A holistic approach was adopted to cover all the regions of the glo-
bal construction industry. The overall methodological research
flow of this study is presented in Fig. 3 below.
Total 172 research studies have been reviewed. Specifically, for
the identification of the top five significant global causes of D&Cs, a
total of 60 research articles regarding construction project delays
Fig. 1. Transformation of delay into conflict.
5
Ain Shams Engineering Journal xxx (xxxx) xxx
and 35 research articles regarding construction projects conflicts
were selected. The ranking of D&Cs factors provided by different
authors in these selected studies for different regions and the vary-
ing nature of civil engineering construction projects are presented
in Table 1 and Table 2. The ranking of factors from each study dif-
fers from the other depending upon their geographical location and
type of project. To identify the top-ranked causes of D&Cs for civil
engineering construction projects from a global perspective, it was
necessary to classify the existing data into different classes. For this
purpose, the Jenks optimization technique [27] was adopted for
data classification and identification & ranking of the most signifi-
cant causes of D&Cs. Jenks optimization is a data clustering tech-
nique that helps in the classification of real data effectively [28].
This technique is helpful regarding real data classification into a
limited number of classes. The desired ranking can be achieved
on the basis of the importance of each class. This classification
resulted in a global ranking of the potential causes of D&Cs for civil
engineering construction projects. Firstly, a comprehensive group
list for causes of D&Cs was developed as presented in Table 8
and Table 9. The remaining data presented in these tables include
the classification of factors through Jenks optimization that
expresses which cause of the delay has the most repetitive occur-
rence among different studies and what rank has been occupied by
each cause in all those studies. Based on this classification, the top
five global causes of D&Cs were identified. The common causes
among them were also identified and are presented in finding
No.4. Moreover, various other aspects of mutual relationship
among D&Cs like transformation mechanism (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2),
comparison of positive impacts (Table 3), common impacts
(Table 4), and their common causes of occurrence among different
countries (Table 5 and Table 6) have also been extracted from the
collected literature.
The geographical distributions of the studies reviewed for the
identification of top-ranked causes of delays and conflicts are pre-
sented in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. This representation tells that most of the
work related to causes of delays is carried out as; (1) Asia 52 %, (2)
Africa 37% and (3) Europe 8%. Similarly, most of the work related to
causes of conflicts is carried out as; (1) Asia 28% (2) In the perspec-
tive of Global construction industry 26%; (3) North America 20% (4)
Africa 8%.
4. Results and discussions
The findings of this review study are expressed below.
4.1. Finding no 1: Common impacts of delays and conflicts
Project performance can only be improved if we develop a bet-
ter understanding of the issues and the impacts they impart on
project success parameters. Besides the individual impacts of
D&Cs on project performance, the common impacts they impart
have also been reported in Table 4. Adopting a proactive approach,
addressing and preparing strategies for common impacts of D&Cs
can help manage both issues (D&Cs) in a single effort.
J. Tariq and S. Shujaa Safdar Gardezi
Table 3
Comparison of positive impacts of delays and conflicts.
Positive impact of Delays
No positive impact of delay on project
performance was reported from the
literature
Ain Shams Engineering Journal xxx (xxxx) xxx
Fig. 2. Transformation of conflict into delay.
4.2. Finding no 2: Common causes of delays and conflicts among
different countries
Positive impact of
Conflicts It was observed from the literature that significant causes of
Improve performance and D&Cs vary from region to region and country to country. But at
productivity [97] the same time, certain D&Cs have been reported across various
Innovative Ideas [142] construction industries with common concerns. Such identification
Creativity [143]
Fig. 3. Research flow chart.
6
J. Tariq and S. Shujaa Safdar Gardezi Ain Shams Engineering Journal xxx (xxxx) xxx

Table 4 4.3. Finding no 3: Ranking of top five causes of delays and conflicts in
Common impacts of delays and conflicts. global perspective
Common Impacts Reference
Cost Overrun [139,31] Various authors identified significant causes of D&Cs for differ-
Productivity Loss [32,136] ent construction industries which are presented in Table 1 and
Conflict and Disputes [134,144,145] Table 2. These causes significantly vary depending upon the region
Project Delays / Schedule Overrun [32,98] and project types. It was necessary to identify the global perspec-
tive that what are the most influential causes of D&Cs among dif-
ferent civil engineering construction projects. Therefore, the
can be helpful to develop region-specific policies to address D&Cs collected data was required to be grouped and classified based
more efficiently. Identified common causes of delays among differ- on ranking provided by different authors in their studies belonging
ent countries are presented in Table 5. to different countries. Jenks optimization was the most suitable
Likewise, there are certain causes of conflicts that are common technique to classify the data collected from the literature. All
among different countries. These identified common causes have the influential causes were carefully reviewed and were grouped
been reported in Table 6. to develop a comprehensive list of D&Cs. Like in Table 7, all the

Table 5
Common causes of delays among different countries.

Common Causes of Delays Global industry experiencing common causes

Delayed decisions
Poor project planning
Issues related to project
management
Poor relationship/ Conflicting
issues
Inexperienced working
parties
Atmospheric Conditions
Financial problems
Availability of skilled workers
Variation orders
Availability of required
resources
Issues related to design
Political instability
UAE [38], US [83]
UAE [38], Iran [133], Thailand [133], Pakistan [146]
Hong Kong [64], Tanzania [30], Thailand [147], Bangladesh [148], Pakistan [149]
India [150], Tanzania [30]
India [150], Uganda [151], Pakistan [146], China [53]
India [150], Pakistan [146], UK [152]
KSA [6], Jordan [42], Tanzania [30], Uganda [151], Turkey [153], Iran [55], Thailand [147], Pakistan [149,146], Bangladesh [148], Kuwait
[65], Egypt [72], South Africa [67], India [138], Ghana [58,74], Malaysia [154], Zambia [45], Denmark [44]
KSA [6], India [155]
Jordan [42], Tanzania [30], Iran [133], Thailand [147], US [83], China [53], UAE [78]
Thailand [147], Pakistan [146], China [53]
Uganda [151], Turkey [153], Thailand [147], India [155], UAE [78]
Bangladesh [39], Afghanistan [49], Pakistan [156]

Table 6
Common causes of conflicts among different countries.

Common causes of conflicts Global industry experiencing common causes

Lack of communication China [116], Hong Kong [101], Pakistan [117], Lithuania [20]
Poor relationship US [96], Korea [157], China [116]
Problems related to the contract Australia [115], US [128]
Financial problems/ Delayed payments Pakistan [117], Libya & Serbia [118], Tanzania [102]
Cultural difference Libya & Serbia [118], Tanzania [102]
Unforeseen site conditions Pakistan [117], Korea [9]
External interference Pakistan [117], Korea [9]

Fig. 4. Geographical distribution of studies reviewed for delays.

7
J. Tariq and S. Shujaa Safdar Gardezi Ain Shams Engineering Journal xxx (xxxx) xxx

Fig. 5. Geographical distribution of studies reviewed for conflicts.

delay factors related to project planning and scheduling were influential factors were considered for both cases. Scale from 1 to 5
grouped as Poor project planning & scheduling. The ranks provided represents ranking from most significant to least significant among
to these grouped causes of D&Cs by different authors in the exist- the top five identified causes. The first grouped delay cause in
ing literature are expressed in Table 7 and Table 8. Only the top five Table 7 is poor project planning & scheduling and a total of 23

Table 7
Ranking of top five causes of delays.

Causes groups Rank by researchers 1 2 3 4 5 Sum

Poor project planning and scheduling 1 [33,41,80,87] 2 [16,38,46,48,54,56,66,75,78] 3 [6,79,84,86] 4 [93] 4 9 4 1 5 23
5 [32,67,71,81,92]
Project management/ site management 1 [64,68] 2 [33,58,66,86,93] 3 [5,61,92] 4 [6,43,79] 5 [57,75] 2 5 3 3 2 15
Inaccurate cost estimates 2 [74] 4 [63,78] 5 [46] – 1 – 2 1 4
Improper supervision/monitoring and control 1 [64] 3 [51] 4 [6] 5 [74] 1 – 1 1 1 4
Issues related to contracts 2 [41,63,81,92] 3 [45,66] 4 [5] – 4 2 1 – 7
Adoption of poor construction methodology, sequence, and 3 [41] – – 1 – – 1
approach
Problems related to design 1 [62,70,78] 2 [85] 3 [43,83] 5 [41] 3 1 2 – 1 7
Economic conditions 2 [47,57] 4 [45] – 2 – 1 – 3
Financial/ funding issues, progress payments of work, cash 1 [5,43]–[45,47,50,56,58,61,63,66,71,72,74,75,91,92] 2 17 8 4 5 1 35
flows, budgeting (Owner related) [6,51,59,65,69,76,77,55] 3 [46,62,67,82] 4 [8,33,52,57,81] 5 [50]
Financial problems related to contractor 1 [32,42,59,73,76,77] 2 [45,52,90] 4 [84] 6 3 – 1 – 10
Delayed approvals, permissions 1 [85] 2 [32] 3 [70,78] 1 1 2 – – 4
Slow decision making 1 [84] 2 [83] 3 [38,64,85] 4 [62,67] 5 [79,82] 1 1 3 2 2 9
Problems related to material 1 [48,54] 2 [62] 3 [32,57,58,63,75] 4 [56,72,76] 5 [45,69] 2 1 5 3 2 13
Problems related to equipment 1 [46,52,53] 2 [72] 3 [56,69,77] 4 [73] 5 [8,59] 3 1 3 1 2 10
Problems related to labor 2 [89] 4 [54,71,82] 5 [6] – 1 – 3 1 5
Change orders, variations, Excessive/Extra work 1 [6,51,65,67,81,83,88] 2 [42,49,60,70,71,84] 3 [50] 4 [46,64,85,86,90] 7 6 1 5 3 22
5 [48,53,78]
Inexperience of consultant 3 [80] 4 [53,88] – – 1 2 – 3
Lack of experience of contractor/ subcontractors 1 [86] 2 [50,82] 3 [33,72,73,76] 5 [77] 1 2 4 – 1 8
Issues related to contractors 3 [88] – – 1 – – 1
Lack of experience of labor 2 [80] – 1 – – – 1
Inexperienced Owner 3 [65] – – 1 – – 1
Subcontractor’s issues 1 [79] 2 [87] 3 [53] 5 [33] 1 1 1 – 1 4
Lack of communication, coordination, Dependency 2 [53] 3 [93] 4 [32,41,59,66,80] – 1 1 5 – 7
External risks/external stake holder’s involvement 2 [43] – 1 – – – 1
Owner interferences 1 [82] 1 – – – – 1
Errors, mistakes 5 [5] – – – – 1 1
Law and order situation, political instability, crisis 1 [8,16,57] 3 [59] 5 [51] 3 – 1 – 1 5
Selection of working parties, prior evaluation of contracting 2 [79] 4 [16,41] – 1 – 2 – 3
parties
Calamities, weather conditions, disasters 3 [49,60] 5 [16] – – 2 – 1 3
Land acquisition, possessions 1 [49] 4 [48,50] 1 – – 2 – 3
Culture of awarding the contract to the lowest bid, type of 3 [8] 5 [84] – – 1 – 1 2
bidding, contract awarding procedure
The complexity of work, Lack of required technical efficiency/ 1 [69] 2 [5] 4 [58] 5 [54] 1 1 – 1 1 4
training
Inflation/ price fluctuation 1 [55] 2 [91] 5 [58,63] 1 1 – – 2 4
Site investigation, ground /subsurface conditions 2 [64] 3 [71] 4 [60,75] – 1 1 2 – 4
Delayed deliveries 5 [60] – – – – 1 1
Conformance to quality/ quality control 4 [61] 5 [62] – – – 1 1 2
Issues related to architects/drawings 1 [38] 2 [73,88] 5 [76] 1 2 – – 1 4
Problems related to consultant 1 [60] 5 [88] 1 – – – 1 2
Governmental policies 4 [92] – – – 1 – 1
Issues related to project scope 2 [61,67] 5 [93] – 2 – – 1 3
Poor commitment, dedication, interest, attention 1 [93] 1 – – – – 1
Construction risks, 5 [43] – – – – 1 1
Compensation payments 3 [16] – – 1 – – 1

8
J. Tariq and S. Shujaa Safdar Gardezi Ain Shams Engineering Journal xxx (xxxx) xxx

Table 8
Ranking of Top five causes of conflicts.

Causes groups Rank by researchers 1 2 3 4 5 Sum

Poor project planning and scheduling 1 [111] 3 [129] 4 [131] 1 – 1 1 – 3
Project management/ site management 1[106,122] 2 – – – – 2
Inaccurate cost estimates 5 [132] – – – – 1 1
Improper supervision/monitoring and control 2 [132] – 1 – – – 1
Issues related to contracts 1 [115,129] 2 [108,110,118,125,128] 3 [119,130] 4 2 5 2 1 – 10
[122]
Adoption of poor construction methodology, sequence, and approach/ Process 2 [104] – 1 – – – 1
Problems related to design 2 [124] 3 [110] 4 [9,106] 5 [118] – 1 1 2 1 5
Economic conditions 5 [106] – – – – 1 1
Financial/ funding issues,progress payments of work, cash flows, budgeting Owner 1 [109,117]–[119,121,131] 4 [110,129] 6 – – 2 – 8
related
Problems related to labor 2 [116] 3 [111] – 1 1 – – 2
Change orders, variations, Excessive/Extra work (avoid design and drawings) 1 [124] 2 [129] 3 [9] 4 [132] 5 [135,165] 1 1 1 1 2 6
Issues related to contractors 1 [110,132] 2 – – – – 2
Lack of communication, coordination, Dependency factor, relationships, 1 [20,21,103,104,107,126,130] 2 [122,127,100] 7 3 3 3 – 16
discriminatory treatment 3 [106,108,112] 4 [117,118,120]
External risks/external stake holders involvement 1 [113] 2 [9,121] 3 [117,122] 5 [110] 1 2 2 – 1 6
Owner interferences/ other disruptions 4 [105] – – – 1 – 1
Errors, mistakes, negligence 4 [109] – – – 1 – 1
Calamities, weather conditions, disasters 2 [24] – 1 – – – 1
Land acquisition, possessions, site access 3 [24] – – 1 – – 1
Complexity/nature of work, Lack of required technical efficiency/ training/awareness 1 [116,100] 3 [104] 4 [111] 2 – 1 1 – 4
Site investigation, differing conditions, ground /subsurface conditions 1 [9,120] 2 [105] 5 [117] 2 1 – – 1 4
Delayed deliveries/ Delays 1 [123] 3 [131,136,155] 1 – 3 – – 4
Conformance to quality/ quality control 4 [124] 5 [109] – – – 1 1 2
Issues related to project scope 1 [24,105,127] 3 – – – – 3
Construction risks/ unpredictability 1 [125] 2 [107] 5 [130] 1 1 – – 1 3
Compensation payments 2 [113] – 1 – – – 1
Acceleration 5 [105] – – – – 1 1
Culture 2 [106] – 1 – – – 1
Expectations 1 [108] 2 [123] 1 1 – – – 2
Stakeholder involvement in decision making 2 [119] 3 [100] – 1 1 – – 2
Problem resolution procedures 4 [100] – – – 1 – 1
Performance 2 [109] – 1 – – – 1
Project priorities/ varying interests 1 [112,114] 2 [111] 2 1 – – – 3
Administrative procedures 5 [111,112] – – – – 2 2
Personality/ behavior/ team spirit / dedication 1 [128] 2 [112] 3 [125] 4 [108] 1 1 1 1 – 4
Politics 4 [112] – – – 1 – 1
Site/ location selection 3 [113] – – 1 – – 1
Claims 2 [117] 3 [131] – 1 1 – – 2
Interpretation (data/information) 2 [120] – 1 – – – 1
Law (ambiguity/awareness) 5 [120] – – – – 1 1
Information sharing 5 [121] – – – – 1 1
Trust 2 [130] – 1 – – – 1
Roles and responsibility 4 [130] – – – 1 – 1

research studies considered this cause among the top five rankings bers as a top-ranked cause of conflict in construction projects.
in their studies. Four authors ranked poor project planning & Similarly, the remaining 4 most critical causes of conflicts are;
scheduling as a number 1, nine authors ranked it as No. 2, four (2) Problems related to contract, (3) Delays in a construction pro-
authors ranked it as No.3, and so on respectively. ject, (4) Financial problems related to the owner, and (5) Change
According to the results of Table 7 maximum (17) authors orders/ Variations. However, the following ranking is based on a
ranked financial problems on behalf of the owner as number 1 repetitive occurrence of causes in most of the studies; (1) Lack of
and maximum (9) authors ranked project planning & scheduling communication/ Relationship, (2) Problems related to contract,
as the number 2 cause of delay in their studies. Similarly, the (3) Financial problems on behalf of the owner, (4) Change orders
remaining 3 rankings of critical causes of delays are; (3) Problems /Variations and (5) External involvement/ risks.
related to materials, (4) Change orders/ variations, and (5) Lack of
communication. However, the following ranking is based on a
common occurrence of causes in most of the studies. The maxi-
4.4. Finding no 4: Identification of common causes of delays and
mum sum of 35 studies reported the repetitive occurrence of ‘fi-
conflicts among top five identified global causes
nancial problems on behalf of the owner’ within the range of the
top five causes. Therefore, based on repetitive occurrence it is
Among the top five identified global causes of D&Cs, the com-
ranked as No. 1 in this study. Whereas the remaining rankings
mon causes are; (1) financial problems on behalf of the owner,
for repetitive occurrence are; (2) Project planning and scheduling,
(2) Change orders/ Variations, and (3) Lack of communication/ Poor
(3) Change orders/ Variations, (4) Project/Site management, and (5)
relationship. As these causes possess a global occurrence and are
Problems related to the material.
common among D&Cs so it would be quite helpful for project man-
According to the results of Table 8 maximum (7) authors con-
agers/planners to address these issues proactively in the future and
sidered Lack of communication/ Relationships among team mem-
to minimize the mutual impact of D&Cs in a smart way.
9
J. Tariq and S. Shujaa Safdar Gardezi Ain Shams Engineering Journal xxx (xxxx) xxx

Table 9 unable to minimize their negative impact. Understanding critical

Tools and techniques.
Tools and Techniques
Literature review
Interviews/ Experts opinion
Case Studies
Questionnaire Surveys
Interpretive structural modelling (ISM)
System Dynamics
Structural equation modeling (SEM)
Cognitive Mapping
Artificial neural network ANN
(PSO)-Based Neural Network
SPSS
Regression analysis
Ordinal regression model
Relative importance index (RII)
Fuzzy ranking
Monte Carlo simulation
Analytical network process (ANP)
Friedman and Wilcoxon tests
Spearman’s Rank Correlation
Frequency Index, Severity Index, and
Importance Index
Kruskal-Wallis test
ANOVA test
Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance
Weighted mean method
Pareto analysis, sample t-test, and
Concordance analysis
factors that cause D&Cs and insight towards their relationship
Reference can help in developing suitable strategies to manage construction
[5,110,53,74] projects more effectively.
[45,71,80,81] This study identified various aspects of mutual relationship
[158,159] among D&Cs, their potential ranking in a global perspective, and
[57,50,119,72,77] commonality among the top-ranked causes of D&Cs for civil engi-
[41]
[160,161,162,163,164,165,166,167]
neering construction projects. The top five delay causes for civil
[75] engineering construction projects in a global perspective are; (1)
[18] financial problems on behalf of owner (2) Project planning &
[168,169,170] scheduling (3) Problems related to materials, (4) Change orders/
[171]
variations, and (5) Lack of communication. The top five conflict
[121]
[93,56] causes are; (1) Lack of communication/ Relationships among team
[172] members, (2) Problems related to contract, (3) Delays in the con-
[84,72,5,54,68,32,61] struction project, (4) Financial problems related to the owner,
[80] and (5) Change orders/ Variations. The common causes of D&Cs
[43]
among the identified global rankings are; (1) financial problems
[110]
[44] on behalf of the owner, (2) Change orders/ Variations, and (3) Lack
[62,79] of communication/ Poor relationship.
[76,119,77,71] The outcome of this study can significantly help researchers to
assess the deeper perspective of the relationship among factors
[47]
[42] causing D&Cs and can assist the construction professionals in
[58] managing the said issues efficiently. Future research shall be con-
[46] ducted in the following direction to look further into D&Cs factors
[73] and their relationship;

(1) Project-specific and region-specific ranking of D&Cs factors

4.5. Finding no 5: Previously adopted tools and techniques related to
delays and conflicts in the existing literature:
Various tools and techniques previously adopted by different
researchers in the perspective of D&Cs have been reported in
Table 9. All these tools and techniques comprehensively express
how the relevant data has been previously collected and analyzed
in different studies. Most of the techniques address data collection,
identification & ranking of factors, the relationship among factors,
prediction frameworks, and propagation behaviors. Therefore, this
comprehensive list can be quite helpful for future research in a way
that researchers can review the most extensively used techniques
in the perspective of D&Cs and can adopt a suitable one with min-
imum effort. Previously adopted tools and techniques related to
D&Cs in existing literature are expressed in Table 9.
It was observed from the literature that the Relative importance
index (RII) was extensively used by many authors for the identifi-
cation and prioritization of factors. Significant use of ANN has been
observed for the development of prediction models. The use of ISM
and SEM has been observed to establish a relationship between
factors. Cognitive mapping was adopted to develop a relationship
hierarchy among factors. It was also observed that system dynam-
ics has been widely used to identify cause and effect relationships
among factors and the feedback mechanism of a system.
5. Conclusion and recommendations
A detailed literature review was carried out in this research for
the identification of ranking of potential causes of D&Cs in a global
perspective and the exploration of the hidden relationship among
them. This study is purely based upon literature review, limited
to existing relevant research. Questionnaires or interviews for
experts’ opinions are not included in this study. The conclusions
drawn from the current study are summarized below;
The construction industry is facing multiple issues but the
occurrence of D&Cs is very common among them. D&Cs signifi-
cantly impart a hazardous impact on project success parameters.
Despite extensive research, construction professionals are still
should be identified to develop consensus among authors
about the significance of factors; (2) The interaction among
D&Cs factors at different phases of the project lifecycle; (3)
Type/level of delay produces what level of conflict and vice
versa; (4) How D&Cs are associated with project stakehold-
ers at various levels of the project lifecycle; (5) Uncommon
aspects among D&Cs which require individual attention;
(6) Development of Delay versus conflict and conflict versus
delay prediction models; (7) Delineation of the extent to
which beneficial conflicts remain beneficial for a construc-
tion project.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-
cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared
to influence the work reported in this paper.
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J. Tariq and S. Shujaa Safdar Gardezi
Engr Junaid Tariq is a Ph.D. scholar at Capital University
of Science and Technology CUST, Islamabad Pakistan
with a research interest in Construction management.
He is also serving as Lecturer in the Department of Civil
Engineering, Mirpur university of science and technol-
ogy (MUST), Mirpur AJ&K.
14
Ain Shams Engineering Journal xxx (xxxx) xxx
Dr. Syed shuja Safdar Gardezi is serving as Assistant
professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, Capital
university of science and technology CUST Islamabad
Pakistan. He was awarded with a Ph.D. degree from UTP
Malaysia.