Improvements of the Communication Between Consultants and Contractors During the Construction Phase in Malaysia

Effective communication is becoming increasingly important in project construction because of the growing demands of the projects. Fundamental to the successful delivery of projects in the construction industry is high-quality communications. The objectives of this paper were to investigate communication methods commonly used in construction projects, to identify factors contributing to communication breakdown, and to suggest actions to minimise communication breakdown during the construction phase between consultants and contractors. Through a comprehensive literature review the communication channels, modes and mediums were recognised. The contributing factors were categorised into project characteristics, personal attitude, communication method, communication management, communication barrier and external aspect. While, the actions to minimise communication breakdown were extracted from previous studies and classified into communication development, communication management and communication method. A quantitative method (questionnaire survey) with a close-ended questionnaire with experienced industry practitioners from a large population of 135 respondents comprising consultants, contractors and developers was used for the data collection. It produced results that generalise, compare and summarise all collected data. The study identified personal attitude as the highest contributor to communication breakdown and communication management was the most effective element to minimise the communication breakdown. It would take a combined effort on the part of all construction parties from consultants, contractors and subcontractors to the project owner to minimise communication breakdown. The findings might help to achieve project success through the improvement of communication between consultants and contractors during the construction phase.