Construction project change management in Indian construction industry: status, importance and impact

Abstract Changes and change management are both considered critical issues encountered in the construction industry. Even if there had been comprehensive plans during or prior to the construction stage, changes in projects are inevitable. If not managed competently, some changes could generate disru...

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Main Authors: Ammar Taher, Rizwan Ahmad Khan, Mohd Ashraf Khan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-03-01
Series:Journal of Engineering and Applied Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s44147-025-00605-z
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author Ammar Taher
Rizwan Ahmad Khan
Mohd Ashraf Khan
author_facet Ammar Taher
Rizwan Ahmad Khan
Mohd Ashraf Khan
author_sort Ammar Taher
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Changes and change management are both considered critical issues encountered in the construction industry. Even if there had been comprehensive plans during or prior to the construction stage, changes in projects are inevitable. If not managed competently, some changes could generate disruptive risks, leading to project failure. Implementing change management is vital to reduce the destructive impact of changes. There is a lack of research on change management in the construction industry in India. Hence, this research aims to appraise the status quo, deciding factors, benefits, obstacles, significance, and impact of change management implementation in the Indian construction sector. To achieve the research objectives, a questionnaire survey was carried out targeting project directors, managers, and engineers, with the majority having over 10 years of experience in the industry. The responses were analysed using the Relative Importance Index (RII). The results revealed that the current execution of the change management approach was somewhat limited. The primary factor that promotes change management implementation is the project cost. Regarding the benefits and obstacles of change management execution, rapid response to change was the primary benefit, whereas the limited project scope was the significant obstacle. The findings are significant for project stakeholders, including decision-makers, policy-makers, and practitioners in the construction industry. They provide actionable insights to enhance change management practices, improving project quality, cost efficiency, and adherence to schedules while mitigating risks. These results can also serve as a foundation for future research, inspiring investigations into innovative tools, frameworks, and strategies to optimise change management implementation and address sector-specific challenges in a dynamic construction environment.
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spelling doaj-art-a44bcb7abd49447b8aa5f980bd555c542025-08-20T02:41:34ZengSpringerOpenJournal of Engineering and Applied Science1110-19032536-95122025-03-0172112410.1186/s44147-025-00605-zConstruction project change management in Indian construction industry: status, importance and impactAmmar Taher0Rizwan Ahmad Khan1Mohd Ashraf Khan2Department of Civil Engineering, Z. H College of Engg. & Tech, Aligarh Muslim UniversityDepartment of Civil Engineering, Z. H College of Engg. & Tech, Aligarh Muslim UniversityDepartment of Civil Engineering, Z. H College of Engg. & Tech, Aligarh Muslim UniversityAbstract Changes and change management are both considered critical issues encountered in the construction industry. Even if there had been comprehensive plans during or prior to the construction stage, changes in projects are inevitable. If not managed competently, some changes could generate disruptive risks, leading to project failure. Implementing change management is vital to reduce the destructive impact of changes. There is a lack of research on change management in the construction industry in India. Hence, this research aims to appraise the status quo, deciding factors, benefits, obstacles, significance, and impact of change management implementation in the Indian construction sector. To achieve the research objectives, a questionnaire survey was carried out targeting project directors, managers, and engineers, with the majority having over 10 years of experience in the industry. The responses were analysed using the Relative Importance Index (RII). The results revealed that the current execution of the change management approach was somewhat limited. The primary factor that promotes change management implementation is the project cost. Regarding the benefits and obstacles of change management execution, rapid response to change was the primary benefit, whereas the limited project scope was the significant obstacle. The findings are significant for project stakeholders, including decision-makers, policy-makers, and practitioners in the construction industry. They provide actionable insights to enhance change management practices, improving project quality, cost efficiency, and adherence to schedules while mitigating risks. These results can also serve as a foundation for future research, inspiring investigations into innovative tools, frameworks, and strategies to optimise change management implementation and address sector-specific challenges in a dynamic construction environment.https://doi.org/10.1186/s44147-025-00605-zChange managementConstructionRelative Importance Index (RII)Severity Index (SI)ImpactSignificance
spellingShingle Ammar Taher
Rizwan Ahmad Khan
Mohd Ashraf Khan
Construction project change management in Indian construction industry: status, importance and impact
Journal of Engineering and Applied Science
Change management
Construction
Relative Importance Index (RII)
Severity Index (SI)
Impact
Significance
title Construction project change management in Indian construction industry: status, importance and impact
title_full Construction project change management in Indian construction industry: status, importance and impact
title_fullStr Construction project change management in Indian construction industry: status, importance and impact
title_full_unstemmed Construction project change management in Indian construction industry: status, importance and impact
title_short Construction project change management in Indian construction industry: status, importance and impact
title_sort construction project change management in indian construction industry status importance and impact
topic Change management
Construction
Relative Importance Index (RII)
Severity Index (SI)
Impact
Significance
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s44147-025-00605-z
work_keys_str_mv AT ammartaher constructionprojectchangemanagementinindianconstructionindustrystatusimportanceandimpact
AT rizwanahmadkhan constructionprojectchangemanagementinindianconstructionindustrystatusimportanceandimpact
AT mohdashrafkhan constructionprojectchangemanagementinindianconstructionindustrystatusimportanceandimpact