Handling negotiation deadlocks in Sri Lankan construction industry

Abstract

Negotiation is identified as first to be used among alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to resolve construction disputes. Further negotiation is identified as most preferred by construction parties. However, it is found parties continuously fail in achieving settlement through negotiation. In every negotiation deadlocks occur where both parties stand still on their stance which stuck negotiations from moving forward. Deadlocks are inevitable but can handle effectively. Existing knowledge identified several techniques used worldwide in handling negotiation deadlocks. This research is targeted to find the applicability of identified negotiation deadlock handling techniques in the Sri Lankan construction industry. A questionnaire survey was carried out among fifty (50) experts in the construction industry. Questionnaire was based on thirty-three (33) identified deadlock handling techniques and respondents were asked to mark their responses on a Likert scale which contained five options. Feedback of the survey was analysed using Relative Importance Index (RII) and found that all the identified techniques are applicable to the Sri Lankan construction industry and found that the industry well recognized them. Further, producing additional information to negotiation table is the key deadlocks handling mechanism using rate negotiation in variation management in construction projects.