Adversarial Relationships in Design Service Delivery in Ghana: Effects on Supply Chains Information Flow and a Business Relationship Management Proposals for Improvement

The construction industry in developing countries like Ghana faces a number of Design Service Delivery (DSD) challenges. These challenges include non-collaborative activities and adversarial business relationships among various construction actor groups and clients. Such challenges mostly end in discords, disputes and conflicts (DDC). Subsequently, while the discords, disputes and conflicts are pervasive and not in doubt, the impact is not known, making it difficult to appreciate the severity of the problem and also to propose appropriate measures for addressing the problem. In view of these challenges this study aims at developing a framework for the empirical understanding of the nature of adversarial business relationships and how they impact on the supply chains of information flow (SCIfs) for DSD activities in Ghana and also to put together the attitudinal behaviours that can be proposed for improvement. An extensive review of relevant literature helped to identify concepts, issues, frameworks and models essential for isolating both collaborative and non-collaborative activities in business relationships. Using relevant theories such as the action oriented system theory, thinking and rethinking, and the inclusion of pertinent cultural issues like individualism and collectivism, a theoretical framework has been developed. Non-probability sampling methods such as purposive, non-proportional quota sampling were used to select samples. Further, the samples have been drawn through eligibility selection criteria. The criteria enabled the selection of forty-five DSD participants (interviewees) suitable for interview. The interviewees included Chief Executives and Senior DSD actors of both public and private companies with over 10 years experiences in DSD activities in Ghana and the West African sub-region. Qualitative data were collected electronically with automatic voice recording, written summaries from the participants and recorded observations were carefully analysed using conventional, directed and summative content analyses techniques, supported by Pareto analysis. The research contributes to knowledge by revealing the nature of the adversarial business relationships in three broad categories: no collaboration, less collaboration and close-to-average collaboration relationships among the DSD actor groups. Again, the study shows that the nature of SCIfs is as disjointed (36% frequency); fragmented and uncoordinated (16% each). These three attributes account for a total of 68% frequency. This describes the serious challenges that the nature of adversarial relationships impose on the current SCIfs developed and constituted especially in Ghana. The attributes used to describe the construction business relationships predominantly confirm the literature claims of non-collaborative business relationships, which cause improper functioning of the processes and procedures used in developing the SCIfs. The malfunctioning processes and procedures reveal 'unsystematic and insufficient details'; 'inconsistent or use of outmoded design, interpretation and transfer methods. Additionally, the processes and procedures show ‘sub-standards with gaps or no standard for supply chains' and ‘the use of weak incomplete supply chain'. The five attributes outlined also account for a total of 68% inefficiencies which cause malfunctioning of the processes and procedures used in developing and constituting SCIfs in Ghana. Based on these identified challenges as pre-conditions, 23 attitudinal behaviourial attributes and 15 technical attributes of knowledge required to transform the situation have been identified from the study. Additionally, assessment and improvement frameworks for quality improvement of the DSD activities based on the pre-conditions and multi-theories among other concepts, attitudinal behaviourial attributes and technical attributes of knowledge have been developed. This could be used for collaborative, harmonious and cordial business relationship in developing and constituting the SCIfs for hygienic, cost and time effectiveness in infrastructural development.

Source: KNUST