Communication Management within a Construction Project Team

The construction industry in Vietnam, especially commercial building sector, is now suffering from many problems regarding communication management. Some common problems are:

1. Usually skipping communication management or just approaching it shallowly due to lack on this knowledge area.

2. Problems related to interpersonal communication (such as face-to-face meetings), intra-group communication (such as interactions between team members) or inter-group communication (such as interactions between main contractors and sub-contractors) occur very frequently at many projects. Consequently, projects communication often breaks down and projects are likely to be failed. 

3. Unable to determine project stakeholders’ needs for information, unable to determine communication channels in projects, insufficient interaction between project management and team members or between main contractor and sub-contractors or within team members, inappropriate communication media, etc.

4. Timing of distributing information, correct information to correct stake holders, wasting a large amount of time and resources for unnecessary meetings, etc.

5. Unable to combine verbal communication and non-verbal communication in order to achieve targets.

6.Abusive use of bad emotional methods during interaction between project management and team members such as fear and threats, aversive stimulation, etc.

Therefore, it is important to understand the nature of problems and to find ways to solve them in order to be able to develop an effective communication management system in construction projects. Nguyen Canh Toan made a case study which objectives were to:

1. investigate the communication interactions within construction project team so that communication problems causing project interruption can be identified.

2. propose recommendations how to improve communication management within construction project team.

Conclusions

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The important role of communication management within construction project team was clarified. During construction phase, interactions within the main contractor’s team members and between the main contractor and subcontractors were analyzed. Communication problems were classified into three categories, i.e. coordination, information distribution and interpersonal communication. And problems relating to coordination category occurred most in the project. That caused project delays many times. In order to solve the problems, proposed solutions based on theoretical and recommended practices including guidance from the PMI’s PMBOK guide, one of the world’s most prestigious guides to the project management, were presented. Besides, some useful tools were considered and suggested to use as the aids for the project managers to improve communication management in the project.

However, there are some limitations in this study. Firstly, relationships between communication problems and types of information in action have not been graded in order to figure out which one is the biggest factor that causes communication interruption; or the applicability of the proposed solutions for those problems.

Recommendations

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In order to avoid similar communication problems, the following recommendations have to consider:

1. Project Manager shall prepare project management plan including communication plan in the beginning of the project.

2. Strictly following the communication plan. Incentives shall be provided to encourage everybody to carry out it properly, and also treatments or even punishments for bad behaviours.

3. Document controller position must be stable as much as possible in order to ensure that the information distribution process is in order.

4. In case of ISO certified company, Project Manager should give feedback to the company Quality Manager to add in personality test forms together with Job Application Assessment Procedures forms. That will save Project Manager’s time whenever there is new job applicant coming to job site for interviewing.

5. Using new information-conveying methods such as: web-based data distribution, e-meeting, etc. in order for easy document control and timing of document distribution.

6. Organizing trainings for the team members in order for them to know how to use both verbal and non-verbal communication effectively.

7. Outside activities such as playing football, parties, etc. are recommended to improve relationships among team members and between the main contractor and subcontractors.

Abstract

Communication management is one of the nine knowledge areas that can be found in the Project Management Institute’s A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. This is a really tough challenge and time-consuming task to any project manager. Despite the fact that ineffective communication management will result in project interruption or even failure, there are not many project managers or site managers in Vietnamese contractors being aware of its importance. This final project report focuses on construction project communication management between the main contractor and subcontractors as inter-group communication and within the main contractor team members as intra-group communication. By reviewing many researches and studies of many authors on this field, knowledge as regards communication management within team and with external party such as will be explored step by step. Through a case study of condominium project in Ho Chi Minh City, communication problems which cause project interruption will be investigated and analyzed. Some proposed solutions which are based on the reviewed knowledge will be discussed in order to help project managers improve communication in the project.