Negotiating Responsibility for Project Change in Collaborative Working Environments

Abstract

Disputes from project cost escalation and delays have exercised the attention of construction management researchers for a long time. Several developments suggest research towards development of conceptual and practical tools for negotiating away informal differences before they escalate into formal disputes requiring litigation or arbitration. Of these developments, the most pressing drive for negotiation is the increased use of procurement strategies requiring the stakeholders to work in collaboration. This article reviews the literature on negotiation of variations and claims. The findings of this review are that: (i) there is very little literature on the negotiation of variations and claims which resonates with general negotiation theories; and (ii) there is a need for research on negotiations models and tools which will reflect the volume of information scattered across different documents prepared for purposes other than negotiation and the multiplicity of relevant issues and stakeholders.