Challenges faced by main contractors when working with inexperienced subcontractors on South African construction projects.

Abstract

Sub-contractors are an extremely important in the business of main contractors and as such collaboration between them is largely significant to the success of the construction industry and the continued existence of both of these entities. This research hereby assesses the challenges that main contractors face when working with inexperienced sub-contractors. The study also looks at the measures that a typical main contractor would apply in cases where they have to work together with an inexperienced sub-contractor. Finally, this study assess what other measures could be adopted by inexperienced/emerging sub-contractors so as to accelerate the growth in this high paced industry. Main-contractors are organisations that ensure the success of construction projects. Successful construction projects depend largely on the physical influence of this entity over the construction period. The main contractor and the consultant ‘s ability to achieve a project within the stipulated time and within cost, is largely dependent on the subcontractor ‘s performance. A construction sub-contractor is an organisation that goes into a contract with a main contractor with the duty to execute a portions of work for the main contractor. While sub-contractors have the opportunity to produce quality results, it also has the potential to disrupt a project if performed incorrectly. This is found to be case with new inexperienced/emerging sub-contractors that are still trying to make their way into the competitive market. In the competitive market, where best bid price often gets awarded contracts to perform certain trades related to construction, inexperienced sub-contractors are often found making these mistakes and end up taking work that has been under-priced for even work that they have no extensive knowledge off. The research study looked at the challenges that main contractors face when working with inexperienced/emerging sub-contractors. Contractors registered on the Master Builder Association of South Africa under general builders for the provinces of Western Cape indicated a number of 44 registered contractors, and KwaZulu-Natal indicating a total 177 registered contractors under residential and commercial buildings, and this made up the sample for the study. The purposive sampling method was employed for the qualitative data and stratified sampling for quantitative data. The study further discusses the efforts and interventions that main contractors make in an effort to reducing the impact of working with such contractors on construction projects. Finally, the study discusses what main contractors can do to further assist inexperienced/emerging sub-contractors in attaining the necessary competency to operate efficiently in a high paced environment. The qualitative data showed that quality, technical performance, and functionality lack of communication poor collaboration, time delays and conflict deceitful practices and safety compliance as being the challenges that main contractors agree to be the case when working with inexperienced sub-contractors. Quantitative found that quality, shortage of skills, poor planning skills/management, low communication levels, risk to health and safety risk and the lack of understanding of construction contracts as being among the most significant challenges of working with inexperienced sub-contractors. In conducting the study, the pragmatism paradigm was used in this study. Qualitative research was done in the form of semi structured interviews and quantitative data was collected by way survey questionnaires. The data was analysed simultaneously using the concurrent triangulation strategy. A total of 8 participants took park in the semi-structured interviews, and a total of 70 participants took part in the survey questionnaire.