Abstract:
Evidence from the literature suggests that the causes of delays in construction are well
researched. Client, contractor, consultant, design, equipment and material related aspects have
varied influence on the occurrence of delay. However, the perception of various labour
attributes on the occurrence of delay have been least investigated. Thus, the objective of the
paper is to identify the various labour attributes that cause delay and examine how these
attributes influence the occurrence of delay. A survey was conducted among various
stakeholders that include engineers, contractors, clients, project managers, architects,
supervisors, labour contractors and skilled labourers to collect the data on the perception of
labour attributes that cause delay. To conduct the survey a questionnaire was distributed among
75 individual stakeholders selected through random sampling process from 3 construction
projects in Bhubaneswar city of India. A perception index was developed based on weighted
average method to examine the relative influence of the labour attributes on delay followed by
descriptive statistics analysis and significance tests to establish the interlinkage between labour
attributes and their consequences that cause delay. Findings revealed that lack of appropriate
skill, lack of adequate remuneration, poor commitment by the labours to the project work are
the major labour attributes which engender delay in construction projects. It is also found that
lack of skill and competency lead to poor quality of work and consequently rework and delay.
Poor remuneration prompts poor commitment to the projects. Poor commitment slows down
the speed of work, and regular availability to the project and consequently influence the level
of output, thus contributing to the delay of the projects. The findings contribute to the discourse
of delay in construction from the labour attribute point of view.
