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Client’s Perception of Contractors’ Performance: A Case Study on Residential

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DOI: 10.24321/2456.9925.202204

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 Journal of Advanced Research in Construction and Urban Architecture
Volume 7, Issue 3&4 - 2022, Pg. No. 40-58
Peer Reviewed Journal
Research Article

Client’s Perception of Contractors’ Performance:

A Case Study on Residential Building Construction
Work at Pokhara Metropolitan City
Rabindra Adhikari1, Prabin Banstola2, Om Prakash Giri3
1
Master Research Scholar, School of Engineering, Pokhara University, Nepal.
2
Assistant Professor, School of Engineering, Pokhara University, Nepal.
3
Assistant Professor, School of Engineering, Pokhara University, Nepal.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2456.9925.202204

I N F O A B S T R A C T

Corresponding Author:
Prabin Banstola, School of Engineering, Pokhara
University, Nepal.
E-mail Id:
pbanstola8@gmail.com
Orcid Id:
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3968-1053
How to cite this article:
Adhikari R, Giri OP, Banstola P. Client’s Perception
of Contractors’ Performance: A Case Study
on Residential Building Construction Work at
Pokhara Metropolitan City. J Adv Res Const Urban
Arch 2022; 7(3&4): 40-58.
Date of Submission: 2022-12-29
Date of Acceptance: 2023-01-16
The construction industry is one of the major aspects that support and
has a significant impact on the global economy, but it is not growing as
other global industries when it comes to client satisfaction issues. Nepal
is, therefore, not an exception to this situation. This study examined
how clients perceived local contractors’ performance in the construction
of residential buildings in Pokhara, Nepal.
The main aim of this study was to analyse the degree to which clients
were satisfied with the building projects that local contractors completed
in Pokhara.
In this study, a questionnaire was created after consulting with
experts, consultants, literature review, questionnaires were provided
to clients. Based on the relative importance index the collected data
were statistically analysed to determine how satisfied clients were with
local contractors’ performance.
The results indicated that clients considered local contractors’
performance in the construction of residential buildings fell short
of their expectations. The following aspects of the adopted groups
caused the most dissatisfaction: the ability to contribute to project brief
development, site supervisor, planning and scheduling jobs, minimizing
waste, efforts made by the contractor to meet specifications, personal
protective equipment, labour motivation and employee devotion to
contractors’ aims, deep interest in the issues and considering them as
essential requests, acceptance of the client’s claims and the ability to
handle variances.
Finally, it was determined that the various parties needed to communicate
with one another more effectively to create a better working atmosphere
that increases levels of satisfaction for clients. Furthermore, common
understanding and cooperation must prevail and the contractors must
enhance their practices and procedures.
Keywords: Construction Industry, Client Satisfaction, Contractors,
Performance

Journal of Advanced Research in Construction and Urban Architecture (ISSN: 2456-9925)

Copyright (c) 2022: Author(s). Published by Advanced Research Publications

41
Introduction
Pokhara is the metropolitan city in Nepal, which is the
capital of Gandaki Province. Pokhara is one of the high
population density areas in Nepal. It is Nepal’s second most
populous metropolis with 402,995 inhabitants (Pokhara
Metropolitan office, 2022). Pokhara, a metropolitan city,
is the headquarter of Gandaki Province in Kaski district
of Nepal. Pokhara is a fast-growing city in Nepal. It lies at
a latitude of 28o13’ N and longitude of 83o57’ E with an
altitude of 872 m above sea level (Banstola et al., 2021). It
is the country’s biggest metropolitan city in terms of area.
With tourist attractions like Fewa Lake, the starting point for
trekkers’ assignments through the Annapurna Conservation
Area region, Tal Barahai Temple, Bindhyabasini Temple,
Bhadrakali Temple, Matepani Gumba, World Peace Pagoda,
Pumdikot, Seti Gorge, etc., Pokhara is known as Nepal’s
tourism capital. Pokhara is known for being a well-liked
tourist destination for travellers from all over the world.
Most tourists visiting Pokhara trek to Mustang and the
Annapurna Base Camp. Begnas Lake, Rupa Lake, Khaste
Lake, Maidi Lake, Neureni Lake, Dipang Lake are the seven
smaller lakes to the east of the Pokhara valley. Fisheries
projects at Begnas Lake are well-known. The much-awaited
international airport is under construction. As Pokhara is the
largest metropolitan city of our country, there have been
many constructions such as airport, hospitals, hydropower,
cable car as well as star hotels (Banstola et al., 2021). From
the religious point of view stupas, temples, mosques are also
under construction. Population growth is causing increase
in construction of engineering structures like buildings,
roads etc (Banstola et al., 2021).
The construction industry is one of the major sectors that
is helping and highly influencing the economic activities
of Pokhara. Nepal being a developing country is achieving
success in the construction industry rapidly. The contractors
are being licensed for executing even residential buildings
in many cities such as Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan, etc.
Though Nepal is an agricultural country it is moving towards
a concrete world gradually. The quality of construction
works is not properly maintained due to low bidding of
contractors, lack of proper supervision, unawareness
of clients in related fields. Client satisfaction is mainly
measured in terms of cost induced in construction Projects.
In residential Buildings, clients become satisfied if they
get labour contracts for projects at low rates. To fulfil
the prophecy of profit contractors starts to minimize the
quality of work which eventually creates disputes between
clients and contractors. Contract labour is said to exist in
a complex and non-standardized employment situation
in contract labour in Nepal in Proceedings of the ILO
Seminar (Chapagain D, 2000). Construction projects give
dissatisfaction to all the parties involved in the construction
Adhikari R et al.
J. Adv. Res. Const. Urban Arch. 2022; 7(3&4)
activities and the main objective of the project manager
is to make sure that the projects are finished within the
estimated budget, schedule and achieve their quality
specifications and requirements (Sha MK et al., 2017).
Research Objectives
The main objective of this research is to understand
the satisfaction factor of clients in residential building
construction projects carried out by local contractors in
Pokhara Metropolitan City.
The major objective of my research is summarized below:
• To identify the satisfaction factor of clients on contractor
performance and rank them according to their level
of satisfaction
• To compare the perceptions of clients regarding the
satisfaction factors on the performance of contractors
Client Satisfaction
Generally, satisfaction is an exceptional feeling that you
receive when you acquire something you wanted, or
when you have achieved something you desired to do.
Client satisfaction is an important factor to determine
the relationship between the client and the contractor
and the development of the construction process. The
construction industry is made up of clients, Consultants,
Contractors, Sub-contractor, vendors. In the construction
area, satisfaction and customer satisfaction play an integral
role in deciding the expected success of a project (Ashley et
al., 1987; Bresnan and Haslam, 1991). According to them
knowing and giving satisfaction to the needs of the owner
is important for the existence and competitiveness of the
worldwide development industry. The idea of globalization
has brought a larger motiving force to the importance of
contents of satisfaction.
In the construction industry, consumer satisfaction can be
interpreted as how much a contractor achieves the clients’
expectations and satisfaction. Any company or industry or
also contractor should understand the client’s expectations
and focus to satisfy those requirements. It has become
one of the main factors for organizations, companies,
contractors to enhance the performance and quality of the
task. It can be seen as the measuring tool of quality in the
construction area. Client satisfaction is regarded to affect
client holding and ultimately revenue and competitiveness
(Anderson and Sullivan, 1993).
(Jones and Sasser, 1995) assert that ensuring total client
satisfaction is essential for building customer loyalty and
generating long-term financial success. Numerous authors
in the fields of building and construction have stressed the
significance of customer satisfaction and how to utilize it
to gauge quality from the perspective of the customers
(Barret, 2000; Torbica and Stroh, 2001; Maloney, 2002).
ISSN: 2456-9925
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2456.9925.202204
Adhikari R et al.
J. Adv. Res. Const. Urban Arch. 2022; 7(3&4)
Their study examines public and private client satisfaction
levels in the construction industry.
The client’s satisfaction with the construction companies is
not completely researched or under-researched. In recent
years client has become more curious to maintain the
quality of their construction works. This curiosity of the
client leads the contractor to maintain the quality of works
on construction works.
The involvement of a supervisor which may be an
engineer, architect, or structural engineer is merely used
in construction projects mainly in residential building
construction projects which affects the quality of work
and leads to dissatisfaction between client and contractor.
The groups of people never have the same perception and
they differ from each other so it is important to understand
how their taste differs. For instance, (Al-Momani, 2000)
has seen that numerous public clients are not getting what
was perceived. The public customers were less satisfied
than private ones (Soetanto et al., 2001) and have also
researched the clients’ and consultants’ views of contractor
performance. From their study, it was concluded that the
consultants were less satisfied than the clients with the
performance of the contractor provided.
To serve as a guide for the research, it is vital to include some
terms related to the topic matter right away. The definition
of customer satisfaction and the factors that makeup it will
vary from person to person and from author to author. The
major term in this paper is “client satisfaction” which is
composed of two words client and satisfaction.
Client
The client is the person or company or party who can pay
the money, he is most probable to be blissful when his view
of the service meets or exceeds his expectations, in the
meantime his perception may vary from the other person’s
perception and contractor’s perception. The procurement
procedure in the construction can be interfaced by the
client (Ahmed and Kangari, 1995).
Satisfaction
(Ahmed and Kangari, 1995) defined satisfaction as
the outcome of some comparison procedure in which
expectations are compared with what is honestly achieved.
Also, it can be defined as the client’s accumulated
reminiscence of many fine experiences, but those good
experiences can be changed by just one awful experience.
Perception
It can be stated as the clients’ or consultants’ impression
and feeling about a service process.
Expectation
It is the faith or anticipation of what will happen as a result
of an action (Malony, 2002).
ISSN: 2456-9925
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42
From this, it can be said that client satisfaction is that
aesthetic feeling the consumer feels when he receives
the quality, he perceived from the cost he has incurred
on the project.
Satisfaction of Clients
Client satisfaction is the main issue for construction
participants who can be clients, consultants, contractors,
vendors who must always find to develop their performance
if they are to exist in the scenario of globalization and
competitiveness in the construction industry (Cheng et al.,
2006). Satisfaction is hard to define and therefore there is
little agreement on the definition of satisfaction. (Locke,
1970) perceived satisfaction was a feature of comparison
between a person’s perception of an outcome and their
expectation for that outcome. Levels of satisfaction received,
therefore, are dependent on an individual’s perceptive
thinking and are subjective in the context of satisfaction
measurement.
Jin and Ling (2006) merged the notion of project success
with the concept of client happiness, defining project
success as meeting schedule, cost, quality targets while
also satisfying project owners. If the definition were to be
redone, it would be apparent that “meeting the project’s
schedule, cost, quality targets are accomplishing the
project’s success by pleasing the project stakeholders
(clients). The researchers also identified some success
elements that influence customer happiness, they were
as follows:
• Project mission which says about the goal and objectives
of work
• Top management aid with consultants, contractors,
professionals working together
• Project schedule and plans made in the preconstruction
stage and following them
• Client consultation from time to time with consultants
and contractors
• Site personnel, technical expertise, skilled manpower
• Client acceptance i.e., accepting the project with
satisfaction
• Monitoring and feedback, reporting problems and
solutions
• Communication, management, attitude
Ling and Chong (2005) according to their study of service
characteristics of design and build contractors in Singapore,
observed that the pioneer of customer satisfaction was
the service quality. The service quality as perceived by
customers was defined as the comparison between clients’
desires or expectations and their perceptions. They defined
the expectations as the demands of clients, i.e., what they
should receive from the service provider. The main way to
guarantee good service quality is achieving what clients

43
expect from the service, five responsible factors were
introduced and they were:
• Reliability from the service provided by the service
provider
• The responsiveness of the contractor
• Assurance of their work from the service provider
• the ability to understand and share the feelings of
another
• The real procedure of service providing
Karna (2004) perceived the client as the owner of the
project or task or the one that needs construction to be
done. As per his study client is also the buyer of the facilities
or products or services and he represent the interests of
the client in the construction industry. Thus, the author
defined client satisfaction as the property of perceived
quality and disconfirmation.
Client satisfaction was described by Churchill and Serprenant
(1982) as a result of prior expectations and subsequent
product or service delivery. Expectations before making
a purchase may be passive, active, or sub-conscious.
Customer satisfaction is a process that is value-dependent,
with the value being the ratio of perceived quality to price
(Zeithaml, 1988). According to the survey, it is crucial to
meet customer expectations and perceptions to provide
services that are of top quality.
Satisfaction is defined as a divine internal part of the mind,
responsible only for mental influences of performance
levels (Oliver, 1997). That is, a satisfaction achiever (e.g.,
client or architect) will have a psychological definition of the
performance of others (e.g., contractors). This psychological
process is subjective to the person and it can change with
time and is difficult to interpret.
Quality has become a worldwide used word for the better
performance of any business, contractors, organization for
a long tenure of time and therefore is one of most studied
topics and achieved from clients’ satisfaction (Womack
et al., 2008; Forsythe 2015; Ferreira et al., 2017; Osei-
Kyei et al., 2017). Thus, from the business perspective to
achieve quality customers’ satisfaction should be increased
by making strong bonds or loyalty between clients and
companies (Nadiri, Gunay, 2013), which may lead to
repetitive business with others which for sure reflects the
profitability.
Service quality has also been seen as a real production
success of any business as more resources and efforts
mean more increase in quality of work and more client
satisfaction (Fajgelbaum et al., 2011).
Developing the importance of customer satisfaction
(Durdyev et al., 2018) researched that client satisfaction
is the factor in the success of the business, which helps
in the expansion of market sales and repetitive sales and
Adhikari R et al.
J. Adv. Res. Const. Urban Arch. 2022; 7(3&4)
enhancing long-term customer ethical standards (i.e.,
equity). Thus, improvement in client satisfaction is the main
way to exist in a competitive service-providing environment.
Customers’ perceptions of the present service received
status, their choice, level of satisfaction with the supplies
will have a steady positive influence on their future choice
(Ihtiyar, Ahmad, 2014).
Surveying only from construction clients’ view, (Sunindijo
et al., 2014) studied relationships between four dimensions
of service quality using structural equation modelling. He
divided such dimensions into two parts named influencing
dimensions and less influencing dimensions. The influencing
areas were:
• Reliability
• Responsiveness,
• Assurance
The less influential factors on client satisfaction were:
• Tangibles (such as documentation quality, quality of
the workforce)
Construction Project Participants
According to (SK et al. 2014), Project stakeholders or the
participants may be individuals or organizations who are
actively involved in project execution. Key stakeholders on
a typical project include:
Owner
• Architect-Engineering Associates
• Construction Management Consultants
• Suppliers
• Contractors
Relation between Client, Consultant, Contractor
The client, the Consultant, the contractor are three major
parties involved in construction activities. The client is the
owner and the ultimate user of the constructed facilities.
The consultant, in general, is an engineer who is involved
in planning, designing, cost estimation of the infrastructure
facilities in close coordination with the client. The contractor
is responsible for the quality control of the work and builds
the facilities as per the consultant’s design and in close
supervision and monitoring by the client and consultant
both.
The major relation between these three parties is governed
by the type of the contract, its condition, the nature of the
work. The client is the investor who invests the money for
the project. The consultant plays the bridge between the
payment to the contractor and the owner (S.K. et al., 2014).
Client Satisfaction in the Construction Industry
The construction industry over the world is in back warded
state and under-researched. Client satisfaction in the
ISSN: 2456-9925
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2456.9925.202204
Adhikari R et al.
J. Adv. Res. Const. Urban Arch. 2022; 7(3&4)
construction industry is not thoroughly researched (Karna,
2004). The demands of the client and their satisfaction are
increasing day by day due to new technologies, changing
organizational structure, market competencies. So new
processes and procedures are required to achieve the
growing needs and elevated standards (Smith and Love,
2001).
The responsibility of the construction industry is to provide
the clients with all the facilities and provisions so that they
can meet their perceptions and expectations. The client
should be ensured about the operational quality in each
stage of the construction process so that can be satisfied
with the final product (Jang et al., 2003).
The satisfaction can be viewed in two parts, the first is the
satisfaction of clients from large companies, government
bodies, large projects while the second is the satisfaction of
end users of these constructed facilities. One of the causes
of client dissatisfaction is the clients’ failure to choose an
adequate procurement procedure (Hanson et al., 2004).
Client’s Characteristics, Requirements, Satisfaction
The service provider (contractor), through his managers and
other staff, will be able to design systems and approaches
that elucidate the underlying causes of their quality and
service problems and implement long-lasting changes to
eradicate these issues if they have a thorough understanding
of the client’s values and requirements, according to
Ahmed and Kangari (1995). They created a model using
multiple-regression analysis to compare the mean scores
to two independent variables, the customer satisfaction
components, the client groups’ industries under test. The
equation produces the mean satisfaction necessary for
the type of industry and for the selected client satisfaction
factor after some definite variables have been replaced
with values (Ahmed and Kangari, 1995). (Soetanto et al.,
2001) examined the opinions of clients and architects
to evaluate the performance of some contractors in the
UK. The analysis identified a few areas for improvement
in the contractors’ performance. They chose a strategy
based on two measurements: the first is the perceived
importance, the second is the perceived performance.
The authors discovered that the most crucial contractor
performance criteria for customers and architects in the
UK were adherence to budget (cost performance) and
collaborative/ spirit of cooperation/ team work. The top
ten most significant criteria for them included time, cost,
quality. Clients and architects regarded essential personnel’s
devotion, honesty, integrity as the qualities that performed
the best overall.
Maloney (2002) discovered that a contractor will need to
determine the most crucial requirements for each client
on each project using the knowledge they have obtained
about each client and their projects. The contractor can
ISSN: 2456-9925
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2456.9925.202204
44
create customer expectations, which are crucial in any
assessment of satisfaction, once these criteria have been
determined.
In their study of the Northern Cyprus building sector,
Egemen and Mohamed (2005) discovered that clients place
a disproportionately high value on the price being given.
In addition to this factor, the writers also stated that the
product’s quality and durability, completion on schedule and
within budget, were determined to be very significant and
vital criteria for complete client satisfaction. The collected
data demonstrated that customers demand much more
from businesses than merely high-quality products, on-time
or within-budget completion, ongoing repetition of tasks.
In addition to completing high-quality work on schedule
and within budget, businesses should comprehend their
clients’ demands, establish close relationships, provide
excellent service, build trust, encourage loyalty.
To investigate customer satisfaction for customers in
Finland, both public and private, Karna (2004) undertook
an empirical investigation. And he discovered that quality
assurance, handover procedures, material were the main
areas where contractors needed to enhance performance.
The author discovered that issues with quality control and
handing over could lead to low satisfaction. Workability
of the handover materials and maintenance manual,
assignment material quality, correction of flaws and
shortcomings found during the handover inspection were
among these items. This emphasized the value of quality
control throughout the project and its bearing on client
satisfaction. The elements that lead to low satisfaction
typically appear in the later stages of a building project
and call for cooperation between the stakeholders. Some
characteristics substantially influence how the consumer
views the overall project’s success. Customers rate the
contractor’s performance as poor in all areas, even when
that was not the case, according to the research of projects
with low overall customer satisfaction (Karna, 2004).
Al-Momany (2000) discovered that in Jordan, contractors
paid absolutely no attention to the owners’ pleasure, which
likely contributed to subpar performance. Progress in
the building will ultimately be slowed down by Jordan’s
construction crisis, which includes diminishing market share,
low productivity and efficiency, rapidly rising construction
costs. The author concluded that to prevent reoccurring
flaws, slow down cost growth, increase owner satisfaction,
both design and construction businesses needed to maintain
and enhance their performance in this market (Al-Momany,
2000). (Hanson, et al., 1994), in their study of the causes of
client dissatisfaction in the South African building industry
and ways of improvement, summarized the ways by which
client satisfaction could be improved by both clients and
contractors to be the following:

45
• Choose a professional team and lead contractors who
are appropriately qualified, experienced, capable
• Use more accurate construction schedules
• When choosing a contractor, price should not be the
only factor taken into account
• Develop enduring connections with customers and
suppliers
• Improved reporting from a qualified team
• Enhancing quality assurance procedures
• Early engagement of the contractor
• Rivalry with similar facilities
• Adverse macroeconomic conditions
Performance Measurement
A web-based performance measurement system with eight
major performance criteria was presented by (Cheung et al.,
2004). People, money, time, quality, health and safety, the
environment, customer happiness, communication were
among them. To meet engineering requirements, Arayici and The different views and perceptions of different kinds of
Aouad (2005) suggested a computer-integrated construction literature on their previous research are shown below:
system. A crucial requirement for the system was that it be
Table 1.Performance Criteria
Pre-Construction Stage
Contribution to the project’s design and constructability
Plan of work
Understanding of contract and specifications
Construction
Site management
Site control and supervision
Site order, cleanliness, and tidiness
The capacity to appropriately plan and program
Performance and management of health and safety
Resource management
Management of materials
Human resource management
Plant and equipment management
Controlling and coordinating the work of subcontractors
Paying vendor and subcontractor
Site personnel
Adhikari R et al.
J. Adv. Res. Const. Urban Arch. 2022; 7(3&4)
extremely dependent on widespread information exchange
about buildings.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is defined by Construction
Excellence (2016) as “the measure of an activity performance
that is crucial to the success of an organization.” The
performance measuring systems of UK construction
enterprises mostly use the KPIs listed below:
• Client contentment with the goods
• service - client satisfaction
• predictability of costs (project, design, construction)
• predictability of time (project, design, construction)
• defects
• expense of construction
• construction time
• profitability
• productivity
• Safety
Variations, Drawings, and Handing Over
Processing differences (e.g., speed, flexibility)
Creation of as-built and shop drawings
Participation in the creation of design sketches
Stage of completion and simplicity of delivery
Completion of defects
Efficacy of operation and transition
Settlement of the final account with ease and speed
Principal measures
Respect for the schedule (time performance)
Respect for the budget (cost performance)
Construction and craftsmanship standards
Quality of service
Handling of complaints (effectiveness)
Telephone inquiries and correspondence
Fast and dependable service
Responsiveness to client
Ability to make rapid decisions
The commitment of contractor and employee.
Corporate hospitality
Attitude
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Adhikari R et al.
J. Adv. Res. Const. Urban Arch. 2022; 7(3&4)
customer cooperation (i.e., client representative)
individual capability and performance
Performance and authority of project managers
Site manner (i.e., no loud noises and swearing)
Source: (Soetanto et al., 2001)
Table 2.Performance Criteria
Timeliness
When submitting work requests, include an accurate
cost estimate and a start date. accountability for their
choice
Prioritize the small tasks highly
Quickly plan and arrange the work
Once a task has begun, finish it right away
Respond immediately to work status inquiries
Maintain a sense of urgency
communications
Give regular updates on the status of all of my work
orders
Before starting the proposed job, describe it
Give warnings and justifications for any work delays
As the task is done, give progress reports
Response to complaints
Simplify the complaint-filing process
Provide individualized attention to complaints
Provide a justifiable justification for complaints
Prioritize complaints about finished work
React as soon as possible to valid complaints
Source: Ahmed And Kangari (1995)
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46
Integrity and sincerity
cooperation/teamwork mind-set
client/architect understanding and customer emphasis
Communication (to coalition members and site
personnel)
a proactive approach to solving issues
Avoiding making assertions (not claims of
consciousness)
Accountability for their choice
Client orientation
Show a polite and helpful disposition
Understand the issue and regard it as a serious request
Provide detailed explanations of the rules for
coordination, policies, and procedures in advance
Give instructions and support for completing paperwork
cost
To cut costs, use value engineering
Use appropriate cost-control strategies to keep your
budget
Keep waste as low as possible
Have sufficient finance in place
Quality
The facility’s performance qualities should come first
Give the facility’s auxiliary qualities or features a
comparable level of performance
The contractor shall use reasonable efforts to comply
with and/or exceed all specifications or standards for
conformity
As a crucial component of the contractor’s duties, ensure
the longevity of the finished facility
Consider aesthetics, including the way a product
appears, sounds, and feels
Consider quality to be a crucial aspect of overall
customer happiness
 Adhikari R et al.
47 J. Adv. Res. Const. Urban Arch. 2022; 7(3&4)

Table 3.Satisfaction Factors The contractor company’s brand and

3.
identification in the marketplace
Main Category Factors
Existence of prior expertise with comparable
Quality of contracted work 4.
projects
Administration and application If the contractor chooses, the location of the
of established quality assurance 5.
product
processes
High-quality technical personnel are readily
The usefulness of the maintenance 6.
available at the contractor company
Quality handbook and the handover
7. Testimonials regarding the contractor
assurance and materials
handover 8. Historical evidence of disputes and claims
the quality of the assigned materials
and the maintenance guide Being a market sector brand, the contracting
9.
company
At the handover inspection, the level
of completeness 10. Maximum financial and resource capacity
Repairs made for shortcomings and 11. The contractor firm offers warranty terms
faults found during the handover Plant and equipment types, as well as equipment
12.
inspection appropriateness
Taking care of business obligations High-calibre managerial personnel is accessible
13.
Supervisors’ work abilities as at the contractor company
Personnel suppliers Familiarity of the contractor with regional
14.
suppliers, labour and subcontractors
Workforce talent of the supplier
Types of project control, process observation,
Employee commitment to setting 15.
and cost management
goals at the supplier
16. Suggested construction technique
The ability of staff at the supplier to
cooperate 17. Currently, the contractor’s workload
Consensus on modifications The contractor’s strategy for site health and
18.
safety
Co-operation Attending defect notices Source: (Egemen and Mohamed, 2005)
Employees of the supplier’s supplier Research Qestions and Methodology
On-site information flow
The overall level of service quality
Compliance of supplier’s
Site subcontracting with the agreement
supervision
Respect for the timeline as set forth
and
by common understanding
subcontracting
Overseeing tasks at the site.
Source: Karna (2004)
Also, Karna (2004) listed some factors that he adopted in his
study; these were as listed in Table 3. Finally, Egemen and
Mohamed (2005) defined eighteen factors to be considered
in their study of the clients’ needs, wants, expectations.
These factors were described in Table 4.
Table 4.Satisfaction Factors
The contractor company’s price proposal (about
1.
the client’s estimate)
How many years has the contractor company Figure 1.Methodological Research Framework
2.
been active in the market

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Adhikari R et al.
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Study Population
The research was carried out taking references to the
different building projects carried out by local contractors
which were officially permitted by the metropolitan office.
The study area of this research was building construction
projects of Pokhara metropolitan city built under the
guidelines of Pokhara metropolitan city. The residential
building projects registered in 2077 BS in the Pokhara
metropolitan city were studied. This research targeted
clients and consultants as the respondents.
The population of clients was taken out from the internet
archive from Pokhara metropolitan office. There are 33
wards in Pokhara and buildings which were registered in
2077 were extracted from each ward, so the total population
of clients in my research is 3537.
As for the population of consultants, the list of engineering
consultancies listed in the Pokhara metropolitan office was
provided. As per the data of the Pokhara metropolitan office
82 consultants were listed, so the population size of the
consultants for my research work is 82. Appendix 2 shows
the categorization of the population of buildings/clients
according to the ward numbers of Pokhara metropolitan
city registered in the Pokhara metropolitan office in 2077.
Sample Selection
The collection of data was performed according to the
number of building projects proportionally. The sample
was selected from the population of building construction
projects from metropolitan drawings branches and archives
from internet facilities of a metropolitan office.
Sample Size
The sample for this study was calculated using the 95%
confidence level of Taro Yamane’s formula as used by
(Burapharat, Y et al., 2021). For populations with finite
sizes, this formula is applied. The calculation formula of
Taro Yamane is presented as follows,
n=N/(1+N(e)²)
Where,
• n= sample size required
• N = number of people in the population
• e = allowable error (%) i.e., 0.05
• For clients,
• n=N/(1+N(e)²)
• n=3537/(1+3537*(0.05)²)
• n=359.35
• n=400 (rounded figure to hundred)
The sample size of clients was found to be 400 in the
approximate figure. The clients implementing and managing
residential building construction projects were targeted
through this research. Out of 400 samples, they were
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48
divided into 33 wards and each ward was appointed with 13
numbers of samples. Some wards were provided a smaller
number of samples than thirteen because they had less
population compared with other wards.
Data Measurement and Analysis
The data collected from the questionnaire survey are
quantitative data and data obtained from Journals, papers,
articles, expert reviews, thesis and booklets are qualitative
data. Based on the type, method of data collection,
data were categorized and analysed for identifying the
satisfaction level of clients and consultants with local
contractors’ work on residential building construction
in Pokhara Metropolitan city. Understanding the level of
measurement is necessary to be able to choose the best
method of analysis. There is a suitable method that can
be used for each sort of measurement and not others. The
Likert scale approach was employed in this study.
The required components’ importance was determined
using the Relative Importance Index (RII) technique, which
was also used to analyse the results, rank them according
to importance, determine potential solutions for variance
and inaccuracy. The respondents, who were either clients
or consultants, were asked to rate their level of satisfaction
on a Likert scale of 1 to 5. The questionnaire’s respondents
were provided with a clear explanation of this. This part
was intended to assess customer and consultant satisfaction
levels. This was based on research done by (Soetanto et al.,
2001). The Likert Scale is expressed numerically as follows:
Very Unsatisfied= 1, Unsatisfied= 2, Average= 3, Satisfied=
4, Very satisfied= 5
RII= (∑ µ)/((A ×N)) (0<RII≤1)= (5*(n5)+4*(n4 )+3*(n3 )+2*(n2
)+1*(n1))/(5*(n5+n4+n3+n2+n1))
Where,
• µ = Weighting given to each factor by respondents
• A= Highest weight available to rate the factor
• N= Total number of respondents
• n1= Very unsatisfied weightage having Likert scale
value 1
• n2= unsatisfied weightage having Likert scale value 2
• n3= Average weightage having Likert scale value 3
• n4= Satisfied weightage having Likert scale value 4
• n5= Satisfied weightage having Likert scale value 5
The higher the value of RII and closer to 1 means that it is
more important than the other.
One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test (Normality
Distribution Test)
Since most parametric tests require that the data be
normally distributed, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was
used to determine if the data exhibit normal distribution
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49 J. Adv. Res. Const. Urban Arch. 2022; 7(3&4)

or not. Table 5, analysis of the test results reveal that the and to examine the amount of satisfaction offered by
computed significance levels are less than 0.05 i.e. (sig < contactors for each factor and category. The following two
0.05), which indicates that the data do not follow a normal methods were used to evaluate the questionnaire’s content
distribution and necessitates the implementation of a validity and reliability.
non-parametric test. Cronbach’s Alpha
Table 5.One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test for
Normality Test Before beginning the genuine inquiry, a full research
instrument was developed and tested. The questionnaire was
Sections Factors P-value created after much debate and professional collaboration.
Pre-construction stage: (After Following that, the pieces were modified and chosen in
A < 0.05 light of the study topic. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient is
Awarding)
determined to confirm the study questionnaire’s validity
B Construction Stage < 0.05
and reliability. It is regarded as reliable if the value is more
C Principal Measures < 0.05 than 0.60. Cronbach’s coefficient alpha values typically fall
Adherence to schedule (time between 0 and 1; higher values indicate greater internal
< 0.05
performance) consistency. One of the most used techniques for evaluating
Adherence to budget (cost reliability is the coefficient Alpha approach, sometimes
< 0.05 known as Cronbach’s Alpha method. Because Cronbach’s
performance)
Alpha supports correlation for all feasible methods of
Quality of construction and
< 0.05 splitting the measure into two halves, it is preferred to
workmanship
the split-half method. (Sijtsma K and Pfadt J.M, 2021).
Safety measures and standards < 0.05 When Cronbach’s coefficient alpha was calculated for the
D Resources management < 0.05 satisfaction statements, the findings for the performance
E Site personnel < 0.05 that clients received from the contractors fell between 0.894
and 0.986. This range is regarded as high; the outcome
Variations, drawings, and
F < 0.05 confirms the validity of the survey as shown in Table 6.
handing over
Table 6.Testing Reliability using Cronbach’s Alpha
G Quality of service < 0.05
H Attitude < 0.05 Cronbach’s
Sections Factors Remarks
Alpha
The Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) was Pre-construction
A 0.945 Reliable
used to analyse the data to meet the research objective. stage
The subsequent statistical evaluations were employed: B Construction Stage 0.958 Reliable
1. Frequencies and Percentile. C Principal Measures
2. Means Adherence to
3. The Alpha-Cronbach test assesses the reliability of the schedule (time 0.937 Reliable
questionnaire questions. performance)
4. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov one-sample test was
employed to determine whether or not the data had Adherence to
a normal distribution. budget (cost 0.931 Reliable
5. Relative Importance Index. performance)
6. The Chi-square test was performed to see whether the Quality of
respondents’ points of view on the satisfaction claims construction and 0.894 Reliable
varied significantly or not. workmanship
Validity and Reliability Safety measures
0.986 Reliable
and standards
The questionnaire was employed as a technique to gather
first-hand information pertinent to this investigation. Two Resources
D 0.969 Reliable
types of information were segregated into the questionnaire. management
The first was generic and identifying information about E Site personnel 0.927 Reliable
the survey respondent. The second contained the many
Variations, drawings
satisfaction factors and categories, as well as subcategories F 0.906 Reliable
and handing over
of those factors, to assess how they related to one another

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G Quality of service 0.92 Reliable RII = 0.569. Clients considered this factor very important
because it will reduce the conflicts in future. If the drawings
H Attitude 0.933 Reliable and specifications are well studied by contractors then it
will help to obtain the outcome which meets the clients’
Hypothesis requirements. The construction would also be easier if
A statistical hypothesis known as a null hypothesis state that drawings and specifications are understood properly.
there is no statistically significant difference between the set
The factor “Plan of work” was ranked second by the clients
of variables. H0 is frequently used to indicate the initial or
with RII= 0.478. This is because the contractor does not
default statement, which has no impact. A statistical claim
plan the work to be completed in the schedule. They don’t
that there is a substantial difference between the set of
make a plan of construction. Clients are less satisfied with
variables and is made in the context of hypothesis testing
this factor than the first one. The factor “Contribution
is an alternative hypothesis. It is frequently abbreviated
to the project’s design and estimation” was ranked third
as H1, it is the hypothesis other than the null hypothesis.
with RII of 0.464 whereas the factor “Helping the client to
The rejection of the null hypothesis is a prerequisite for
develop an idea of the project.” was ranked last with RII
the acceptance of the alternative hypothesis; hence the
of 0.463. These two factors were ranked third and fourth
alternative hypothesis cannot be accepted before the
respectively because in the scenario of Pokhara city the
rejection of the null hypothesis. The alternative hypothesis
contractor does not show interest to help the client in
offers an alternative to the null hypothesis, whereas the
design, estimation and helping the clients to make a brief
null hypothesis is the theory that will be investigated.
of their project.
In this study, H0 denotes that there is no significant Table 8.Clients’ Perception Regarding the
difference between satisfaction and “group of the stage” Performance of Contractors in the Pre-Construction
from the perception of both client and consultants and Stage
H1 denotes that there is a significant difference between
satisfaction and “group of the stage” from the perception Satisfaction of Clients
of both client and consultants. The hypothesis is checked with the Performance
out by using the statistical method of the Chi-square test. of Contractor
(Based on Previous
Distribution of respondents by their experience in the Factor Experience)
construction of the building.
Relative
The experience of construction works in past makes importance Rank
the building construction easier at present time. In past index
people may have constructed their building, supervised the Helping the client to develop
relative’s construction work, or helped in many various ways. 0.463 4
an idea for the project
Those experiences make it easier to construct buildings at
present. According to the table 7 it is shown that 44 people Contribution to the project’s
0.464 3
were involved in certain construction works whereas 356 design and estimation
people haven’t been involved in any construction works. Plan of work 0.478 2
Table 7.Distribution of Respondents by their Knowledge of drawing and
0.569 1
Experience in the Construction of the Building specifications
Experience Frequency Percent Average 0.493
Yes 44 11.0
Clients’ Perception
No 356 89.0
The most satisfying factor in the construction stage was
Total 400 100.0 “Compliance with local national regulations and guidelines
Source: Field Survey, 2022 for right of way, setback” with RII of 0.592. This is because
Clients’ Perception the contractor is worried about the municipal problems
Table 8, illustrates the ranking of the satisfaction factors that can occur while constructing the building. So, they try
in the group in the pre-construction stage, according to to follow the local, national regulations and guidelines for
performance based on the previous experience with the right of way and setbacks. The clients blame the contractor
contractor. “Knowledge of drawing and specifications” was if the right of way is violated because they are the ones for
ranked the first factor by the clients’ respondents as the levelling and lining the building.
most satisfying factor in the pre-construction stage, with The factor “Application of rebar as per the municipal

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drawings” is ranked second by the clients with RII of 0.590. work delays” comes under the second rank with RII of 0.446.
The contractors are aware of understanding drawings so The factor “Emphasizing small jobs also” and “Responding
they use the rebar as per the structural design. Also, the immediately to work status” comes under the third rank
building doesn’t get the completion certificate from the with RII of 0.406 while the factor “Plan and schedule tasks”
metropolitan office if rebar is not used as per design which comes at the fifth rank with the RII of 0.403.
is the ultimate fault of the contractor, so they use the design Table 9.Clients’ Perception Regarding the Satisfaction
to use rebar. That’s why the clients are satisfied with this Factors in the Construction Stage
factor. “Proper levelling and lining of the building” comes
under the third rank as per the client’s perception with Satisfaction of clients
RII value of 0.586. with the performance
of contractor (based on
“Mixing of cement, sand, aggregates as per the Factor previous experience)
specifications” comes under the fourth rank as per the
client’s perception with the rank of 0.572. The satisfaction Relative
Rank
level gradually goes on decreasing on coming with this importance index
factor. This is because the contractors don’t follow the Allocation of the site
0.467 10
proper method of mixing the cement, sand, aggregates. supervisor
They maintain high workability in concreting which makes Tidiness and cleanliness at
the work faster and earn profit for them. 0.489 7
the site
The factors such as “Use of vibrators on concreting work” Ability to plan and
0.475 8
and “Use of proper scaffolds and formworks” comes under program properly
the rank of fifth and sixth respectively with the rank of 0.568 Ability to solve a particular
and 0.559. The clients are dissatisfied with these factors 0.472 9
problem
because the contractor tries to neglect the use of vibrators
and good scaffolds during construction purposes. If they Compliance with local, and
don’t have vibrators on the site they make concrete with national regulations and
0.592 1
more water ratio which decrease the quality of concrete. guidelines for right of way,
The local contractor uses local scaffolds and formworks so setback
clients are dissatisfied with this factor. The factor “Tidiness Proper Levelling and Lining
0.586 3
and cleanliness at the site” got the rank of the seventh of building
with RII value of 0.489. This dissatisfaction level of the Application of rebar as per
client is because of the contractor’s negligence to maintain 0.590 2
the municipal drawings
cleanliness on the site. This leads to accidents and more
wastage of construction materials. Mixing of cement, sand,
and aggregates as per the 0.572 4
“Ability to plan and program properly” as per clients comes specifications
under the rank of eighth with the RII value of 0.475. The
Use of vibrators on
contractor doesn’t plan for the work. If they don’t have 0.568 5
concreting work
any materials or manpower they halt the work without any
plan and program showing the unavailability of manpower. Use of proper scaffolds
0.559 6
They don’t execute the work with proper plan and program. and formworks
“Ability to solve a particular problem” and “Allocation of Average 0.536
the site supervisor” are the factor of the construction stage
Table 10.Clients’ Perception Regarding the
which comes under the rank of ninth and tenth as per the
Satisfaction Factors in the Time Performance/
client’s perception with the RII value of 0.472 and 0.467.
The contractor doesn’t plan and programs properly which According to Schedule
makes solving a problem difficult. The contractor also Satisfaction of Clients
doesn’t appoint the supervisor on their own which is the with the Performance
most dissatisfaction factor of clients towards contractor of Contractor (Based on
performance. Factor Previous Experience)
Satisfaction of clients with the performance of the contractor Relative Importance
Rank
on the time performance/ schedule. From the relative Index
importance index, it is seen that clients are satisfied with Emphasizing small
the factor “Completing the project on time” with RII of 0.406 3
jobs also
0.487. The factor “Informing and giving explanations for

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Plan and schedule with RII of 0.466. “Giving high priority to employing skilled
0.403 5 manpower” was the third rank factor with RII of 0.462. The
tasks
satisfaction level of the client decreases on this factor. It is
Responding because the contractor doesn’t give priority to employing
immediately to work 0.406 3 skilled manpower as the rate of such manpower is high.
status The factor “Contractor’s effort to follow the specifications”
Informing and giving came under the most dissatisfied factor in this sub-group
explanations for work 0.446 2 with the rank of 0.458. The contractor rarely follows the
delays specifications as described in the design.
Completing the Table 12.Clients’ Perception Regarding the
0.487 1
project on time Satisfaction Factors in the Quality Of Construction
Average 0.430 and Workmanship
Satisfaction of clients
The factor “Reducing waste to a minimum” is the most with the performance
dissatisfied factor with the rank of 0.405 out of four factors. of contractor (based on
Generally, the contractor takes a labour contract and Factor previous experience)
they are liable to the process of work only and not to the
materials by which they don’t seem to care about reducing Relative
Rank
the waste to the minimum. This action leads to more use importance index
of construction materials which eventually increases the Giving high priority
overall cost of the project. to employing skilled 0.462 3
Table 11.Clients’ Perception Regarding the manpower
Satisfaction Factors in the Cost Performance/ Contractor’s
According to Budget effort to follow the 0.458 4
specifications
Satisfaction of Clients
with the Performance Valuing aesthetics, such
of Contractor (Based on as how a product feels, 0.601 1
Factor Previous Experience) sounds, and appears
Relative Recognizing quality as
Rank a crucial component of 0.466 2
Importance index
overall client satisfaction
Conducting
value engineering Average 0.496
to reduce costs 0.426 3
by maximizing the options The factor “Personal protective equipment” was found
that are currently available to be the most dissatisfied factor in safety with RII value
of 0.436. PPE should be mostly used to prevent accidents
Reducing waste to a but clients haven’t seen workers using PPE at the site
0.405 4
minimum while working. This gives a negative indication about the
The claim of money in contractor, concerning the clients’ choice in the future.
each instalment is as per 0.460 1 Table 13.Clients’ Perception Regarding the
the agreement Satisfaction Factors in the Safety Measures and
Finishing the project on Standards
0.454 2
the agreed amount Satisfaction of clients with the
Average 0.436 performance of contractor
Factor (based on previous experience)
The most satisfying factor in this group was “Valuing
Relative
aesthetics, such as how a product feels, sounds, appears” Rank
importance index
with RII of 0.601. The contractor tries to show the project
aesthetically good at the end to show the good quality Personal protective
0.436 6
of work by which the clients become satisfied with this equipment
factor. “Recognizing quality as a crucial component of Provision of first aid
0.438 5
overall client satisfaction” was the second rank factor kit on site

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Provision of toolbox to make rapid decisions” with fourth rank and RII value
0.459 1 of 0.396. The clients need rapid decisions sometimes to
talk
execute the work but the consultants didn’t find such
Accidents’ ability in contractors’ performance. Also, consultants were
investigation and most dissatisfied with the factor “Deep involvement in the
0.440 4
documentation on problems and treating them as important requests” with
the site RII value of 0.38. The clients want their project to complete
Availability of safety successfully but the contractor takes the problem slightly
0.441 3
plan. and treats them slightly.
Compliance Table 15.Consultants’ Perception Regarding the
with local safety 0.442 2 Satisfaction Factors in the Quality of Service
regulations.
Satisfaction of
Average 0.442 Clients with the
Performance of
From clients’ perception the factor “Skills to cope/manage
Contractor (Based on
variations and flexibility to address the variation on work” Factor Previous Experience)
obtained the rank of fourth with RII value of 0.449 and the
factor “Preparation of shop drawings and as-built drawings” Relative
obtained the rank of fifth with the RII value of 0.444. From Importance Rank
this, it can be seen that clients are not satisfied with the Index
variation tactics of the contractor and the contractor also Telephone inquiries and
0.456 1
doesn’t prepare shop drawings on the site. Communication skills
Table 14.Clients’ Perception Regarding the Ability to make rapid decisions 0.396 4
Satisfaction Factors in the Variations, Drawings,
Politeness and generosity in
Handing Over
dealing with the client and his 0.416 3
Satisfaction of clients associates
with the performance Deep involvement in the
of contractor (based on problems and treating them as 0.38 5
Factor previous experience) important requests
Relative Repair of faults and
importance Rank deficiencies found during the 0.428 2
index handover inspection
Skills to cope/manage Average 0.415
variations and flexibility
0.449 4
to address the variation in The stages of every group in this research, show the typical
work signs of client and consultant dissatisfaction. Regarding the
Preparation of shop hand over stage, it was discovered that the contractors
drawings and as-built 0.444 5 were looking into and fixing the problems in Pokhara
drawings metropolitan city. However, Karna (2004) found that in
Participation in the the completion stage, clients were not happy with the
creation of design 0.473 3 performance of the contractors in the research carried
concepts out in Finland.
Completing and flexibility The following aspects of the adopted groups caused the
of handing over and most dissatisfaction: the ability to contribute to project
0.557 1
settlement of the final brief development; allocation of site supervisor; planning
account and scheduling jobs; minimizing waste; efforts made by
Investigating and the contractor to meet specifications; personal protective
0.554 2 equipment; labour motivation and employee devotion
correction of defects
to contractors’ aims; deep interest in the issues and
Average 0.495
considering them as essential requests; acceptance of
the client’s claims and the ability to handle variances. This
The consultants were dissatisfied with the factor “Ability

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Adhikari R et al.
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finding is similar to the findings of (Al-shorafa, R.K., 2008)
which was conducted on the construction industry in the
Gaza strip.
Conclusion and Recommendation
The main aim of this research was to investigate the
satisfaction factor of clients and consultants in residential
building construction projects carried out by local
contractors in Pokhara Metropolitan City.
Regarding the groups incorporated in this research, it was
found that consultants were more dissatisfied with the
performance of contractors than clients.
• In the pre-construction stage, the factor “contribution
to the project’s design and estimation” and “helping
the client to develop an idea of the project” were
the most dissatisfied statement factors for clients.
As for the consultants the factor “plan of work” and
“contribution to the project’s design and estimation”
were considered the dissatisfied factor
• In the construction stage, clients are dissatisfied with
the factors “allocation of the site supervisor”, “ability
to solve a particular problem”, “ability to plan and
program properly”, “tidiness and cleanliness at the site”
• Regarding the subgroup time performance, the clients
were satisfied with the factor “completing the project
on time” and “informing and giving explanations for
work delays” while they were dissatisfied with the
factors “responding immediately to work status”,
“emphasizing small jobs also” and “plan and schedule
tasks” in chronological order as per the RII value. The
consultants were dissatisfied with the factor “Plan and
schedule tasks” and “Completing the project on time”
• Regarding the subgroup cost performance, the clients
are dissatisfied with the performance of contractors in
reducing waste and conducting value engineering on
the sites. However, clients were found to be satisfied
on relative comparison on claiming of money and
finishing the project on the agreed amount
• Regarding the subgroup quality of construction and
workmanship, clients were satisfied with the statements
such as aesthetics of the building, perceiving quality as
an essential factor, dissatisfied with the factors such
as employing skilled manpower and working as per
the specifications
• Regarding the subgroup quality of construction and
workmanship, the contractors are recommended
to employ skilled manpower at the site and both
contractor and his representatives should meet all
the specifications of work to improve the satisfaction
of clients and consultants with the quality performance
• Regarding the subgroup safety measures and standards,
the statements such as Personal protective equipment,
local safety regulations, first aid kit at the site
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dissatisfied the consultants more with the performance
of contractors. From the perception of clients’ PPE, first
aid facilities, accident investigation, documentation
were the most dissatisfied factor regarding the safety
measures and standards. The factors toolbox talk,
safety plan satisfied both clients and consultants. Low-
performance levels were perceived for safety measures
To ensure the safe implementation of projects, local
authorities must imply strong limits. It is advised to set aside
a specific sum of money in the budget for contractor safety
issues. Contractors must put in more effort to raise their
understanding of and provide training for safety-related
issues. First aid supplies should always be accessible on the
job site. The contractor needs to encourage employees to
wear PPE while working.
• Regarding group resource management, the perception
of clients showed that they were dissatisfied with the
statements such as motivating labour, payment to
subcontractors, manpower management. However,
they were satisfied with the factor relatively such as
equipment management, type of equipment used for
construction, management of sub-contractors. The
dissatisfaction and satisfaction of consultants in this
group were the same of the clients
• Regarding the group of site personnel, the clients
were dissatisfied with the commitment of contractors’
employees to meet the goals, contractors’ supervisors
and abilities. While they were satisfied with the
cooperation quality of contractors and working skills
of workers. But the consultants were not satisfied
with the skill of contractors’ workers. The consultants
were dissatisfied with the individual abilities and
performance of the contractor and his representatives
• Regarding the group of variations, drawings, handing
over, the factors such as finishing and completion stage
ease, investigation and correcting defects satisfied
clients. The factors like Participation in the creation of
design concepts, preparation of shop drawings, skills of
variations of contractors were the dissatisfied factors
for clients. “Participation in the creation of design
concepts” was the most dissatisfactory factor for the
consultants. The skills of the contractor to address the
variations also dissatisfied the consultants
It is advised that contractors give enough effort for the
completion stage, which includes variations, drawings,
turning over with the key performance metrics. This must
include handling the desired variants, fixing errors, creating
drawings, ensuring a smooth handover, paying the project’s
ultimate bill. To handle the differences in the work, the
contractor must improve the variations’ skills. It is also
advised that the contractor assist clients and consultants
in creating the design and drawings.

55
• Regarding the group quality of service, factors like
communication skills, repairing of defects, hospitality
satisfied both clients and consultants. The most
dissatisfied factor for clients and consultants was “deep
involvement in the problems and treating them as
important requests”. The ability of rapid decision-
making also dissatisfied the clients and consultants
The contractors are recommended not to neglect any
problems on site and should be involved in the solutions
of the problem. Rapid decision ability is needed in some
scenarios at the site so such ability should also be improved.
The quality of service is to be improved by contractors to
achieve the satisfaction of both clients and consultants.
Recommendations for Future Studies
1. Public clients’ satisfaction with the construction
services offered.
2. The satisfaction of non-governmental organizations
carrying out projects locally.
3. The adoption of quality assurance standards and how
it affects local discontent.
4. To explore new dimensions related to the improvement
of the working behaviour of contractors to achieve
optimal quality in the construction industry.
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