An evaluation of partnership development in the construction industry

Improving the effectiveness of projects, particularly in construction, is of interest and concern to practitioners and academics alike. To this end, the use of partnering, now commonplace in a variety of industry sectors has been encouraged in the UK construction industry. However, in many respects project environments represent the antithesis of current thinking in partnership development and an unusual and difficult application, particularly at the lower levels in the supply chain. This paper, therefore, is concerned with evaluating the progress the UK construction industry has made in its adoption of partnering, how it is likely to develop in the future and what the implications might be for the industry's suppliers. The partnering experiences of Main Contractors with Main Subcontractors for structural steel products are examined and a conceptual framework of the success factors presented and discussed. Critically, clients and not suppliers were found to be major barriers to the industry's adoption of partnering.