Partnering Contracts and Conflict Levels in Norwegian Construction Projects
The Norwegian construction sector has long struggled with conflict, particularly in large-scale and complex projects, where adversarial practices, rigid procurement systems, and insufficient early collaboration are common. This study explores how partnering contracts, which are collaborative deliver...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Buildings |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/15/2676 |
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| author | Omar K. Sabri Haakon Nygaard Kristiansen |
| author_facet | Omar K. Sabri Haakon Nygaard Kristiansen |
| author_sort | Omar K. Sabri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Norwegian construction sector has long struggled with conflict, particularly in large-scale and complex projects, where adversarial practices, rigid procurement systems, and insufficient early collaboration are common. This study explores how partnering contracts, which are collaborative delivery models designed to align stakeholder interests, affect conflict dynamics in real-world settings. Employing a mixed-methods approach, it combines semi-structured interviews with 21 experienced Norwegian construction professionals and a structured survey of 33 industry experts. The findings reveal that partnering can foster trust, improve communication, and reduce adversarial behavior through mechanisms such as early contractor involvement, joint goal setting, and open dialogue. However, participants also identified critical risks: superficial collaboration rituals, ambiguous roles, and unresolved structural inequalities that can exacerbate tensions. Importantly, the study emphasizes that partnering success depends less on the contract itself and more on cultural alignment, stakeholder competence, and long-term relational commitment. These insights contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how collaborative contracting influences conflict mitigation in the Norwegian construction sector. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3403f88f3dad4de88285c67f1ed19d4d |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj-art-3403f88f3dad4de88285c67f1ed19d4d2025-08-20T03:02:58ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-07-011515267610.3390/buildings15152676Partnering Contracts and Conflict Levels in Norwegian Construction ProjectsOmar K. Sabri0Haakon Nygaard Kristiansen1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, NorwayThe Norwegian construction sector has long struggled with conflict, particularly in large-scale and complex projects, where adversarial practices, rigid procurement systems, and insufficient early collaboration are common. This study explores how partnering contracts, which are collaborative delivery models designed to align stakeholder interests, affect conflict dynamics in real-world settings. Employing a mixed-methods approach, it combines semi-structured interviews with 21 experienced Norwegian construction professionals and a structured survey of 33 industry experts. The findings reveal that partnering can foster trust, improve communication, and reduce adversarial behavior through mechanisms such as early contractor involvement, joint goal setting, and open dialogue. However, participants also identified critical risks: superficial collaboration rituals, ambiguous roles, and unresolved structural inequalities that can exacerbate tensions. Importantly, the study emphasizes that partnering success depends less on the contract itself and more on cultural alignment, stakeholder competence, and long-term relational commitment. These insights contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how collaborative contracting influences conflict mitigation in the Norwegian construction sector.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/15/2676partnering contractscollaborative contractingNorwegian construction sectorconstruction conflict |
| spellingShingle | Omar K. Sabri Haakon Nygaard Kristiansen Partnering Contracts and Conflict Levels in Norwegian Construction Projects Buildings partnering contracts collaborative contracting Norwegian construction sector construction conflict |
| title | Partnering Contracts and Conflict Levels in Norwegian Construction Projects |
| title_full | Partnering Contracts and Conflict Levels in Norwegian Construction Projects |
| title_fullStr | Partnering Contracts and Conflict Levels in Norwegian Construction Projects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Partnering Contracts and Conflict Levels in Norwegian Construction Projects |
| title_short | Partnering Contracts and Conflict Levels in Norwegian Construction Projects |
| title_sort | partnering contracts and conflict levels in norwegian construction projects |
| topic | partnering contracts collaborative contracting Norwegian construction sector construction conflict |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/15/2676 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT omarksabri partneringcontractsandconflictlevelsinnorwegianconstructionprojects AT haakonnygaardkristiansen partneringcontractsandconflictlevelsinnorwegianconstructionprojects |