Construction project teams and their development : the case in Sri Lanka

The construction industry is highly susceptible to the benefits from teams, as the construction products are delivered by a collection of diverse professionals. However, effective teams cannot be created at a stroke and they need time and opportunity to mature. This is normally referred to as team development and this area has been subjected to various research. However, there is a deficiency in published research on team development with regards to construction teams and none has been reported in Sri Lanka. Therefore, this study explored how construction project teams in Sri Lanka go through the team development process. This research problem was approached through case studies of three construction projects, which were operating under the traditional procurement method with re-measurement contracts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five distinct participants of construction teams during data collection. Based on the findings, a new model of team development with regards to Sri Lankan construction teams was developed. The new model indicates that construction teams progress basically in a linear sequence (forming-storming-norming-performing-adjourning) as suggested in the literature. However, the study unearthed that within this basic linear sequence, several cycles can be created due to the conflicts that may occur when the team is at performing level. The results further revealed that construction teams in Sri Lanka were lacking in mutual accountability and with formal attempts to get long-term benefits.