Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Construction Dispute Resolution Mechanism in Nigerian Construction

Abstract

The nature of construction projects requires the participation of parties with different skills. Clients, designers, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and manufacturer are always party to a project. Diversity in interest and goals means dispute can occur where multiple parties are involved. For instance, construction projects in Nigeria experience breakdown due to disputes. This shows justification for this research, which addresses perceptions of construction stakeholders relative to dispute resolution in Nigeria. The descriptive survey research design was employed, and a questionnaire was used as the tool for data collection where eight dispute resolution mechanisms were identified and classified. The results ranked negotiation and mediation top among the mechanisms. However, negotiation was ranked high because it is perceived to be time and cost saving, while improving working relations. The study concluded that negotiation and mediation were effective alternative dispute resolution mechanism based on the dynamics of project relationships in Nigeria.