A comprehensive typology of causes leading to disputes in construction projects

Construction projects have been challenged with a huge volume of disputes, which negatively impact the construction business environment. Disputes have become more prevalent and continuously affect the construction supply chain. Several studies have attempted to investigate dispute causations and dispute avoidance mechanisms to avoid disputes beforehand and resolve them effectively. However, disputes continue to occur and trigger severe repercussions throughout the project life cycle. This paper aims to develop a landscape of the typology of causes of disputes in the construction industry incredibly beneficial for understanding the dispute potentials that arise in construction projects in order to mitigate them effectively. A systematic literature review was conducted adopting the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses flow diagram to explore the causes that contribute to disputes in the construction industry. Using the Scopus and Web of Science databases, a total of 2,816 research articles that investigated disputes in construction projects and related issues were initially identified. Finally, 43 carefully selected articles published from 2013 to 2023 were reviewed. The review identified a total of 136 causes contributing to disputes in construction projects and categorized under 12 primary dispute categories. Among them, the crucial category is payment and financial-related disputes, where payment delays significantly contribute to disputes in construction projects. The study further analyzed the trend of disputes and their causes by country and found that disputes arise regardless of whether the country is developed or developing. However, the causes of disputes vary between countries. A detailed investigation is carried out on payment-related disputes and finally, a conceptual framework for the typology of causes is developed which reflects the interrelationships among the causes of disputes encompassing the primary, antecedent and descendant causes. Consequently, the research provides a clear understanding of the underlying causes of disputes to proactively predict and effectively mitigate in construction projects.