تاثیر فرهنگ سازمانی بر تاخیر در ساخت و ساز  Effect of organizational culture on delay in construction

1. Introduction Delay has always been one of the major problems in the construction industry. Delay in a construction project has severe consequences on most project goals (Enshassi et al., 2010; Kazaz et al., 2012). Over the years, professionals and researchers have investigated various aspects of delays such as their contribution to disputes and adverse relationships among the project participants (Al-Khalil and Al-Ghafly, 1999), their causes and entitlement issues (e.g., Fallahnejad, 2013; Mahamid et al., 2012; Abd El-Razek et al., 2008), their effects in project performance (e.g., Sambasivan and Soon, 2007; Odeyinka and Yusif, 1997; Aibinu and Jagboro, 2002), and delay analysis techniques (e.g., Hegazy and Menesi, 2008; Shi et al., 2001; Arditi and Pattanakitchamroon, 2006, 2008). Regardless of the issues investigated, delays’ magnitude, causes, and remedies may be different in different countries. For example, studies exist in the literature (e.g., Al-Kharashi and Skitmore, 2009; Sambasivan and Soon, 2007; Frimpong and Oluyowe, 2003) revealing that different causes of delay are experienced in different countries. In addition to studies that point to causes that are beyond the control of the project participants (e.g., adverse weather conditions and a declining economy), and causes that are initiated by the owner (e.g., design changes and delayed payments), quite a few studies found that many of the causes of delays are contractor-related (e.g., poor site management, subcontractor problems, poor scheduling, financial difficulties, and limited experience). The specific question to be answered here is: “Why do construction companies experience different causes of delay in different countries?” Some researchers claim that a possible reason is national culture. For example, according to Lewis (2005), the perception of time is different in different cultures. In some western cultures (e.g., the U.S. and the Anglo-Saxon world in general), there is a linear vision of time and individuals cannot bear to be idle. Individuals dominated with western cultures think that things are done more efficiently if they do one thing at a time within a fixed schedule. In contrast, in some eastern cultures (e.g., India and Asian countries in general), individuals perceive time as cyclic, not linear, where the same opportunities or risks will present themselves in the future. Individuals dominated by eastern cultures do not prefer to make quick decisions or to treat a current deal on its present merits (Lewis, 2005). On the other hand, according to Naoum et al. (2015), organizational culture affects the approach to decision-making, the quality of communication, and working relationships. Can it also affect the delays experienced in different circumstances? This leads to the question: “Can it be that the different causes of delay experienced in different countries are related to the culture of construction companies?” Even though there are signs of a possible relationship between time and organizational culture, none of the studies in the literature discusses whether there is a relationship between a construction company’s organizational culture and the delay they experience in their projects. The objective of the study is to fill this gap. It is hypothesized that the organizational culture of construction companies may affect delays in the projects undertaken by these companies. Understanding the relationship between organizational culture and delay could be useful in cultivating the right organizational culture that can reduce delay in construction projects. It is important to explore this relationship particularly because of the great impact of the construction industry on the economy of a country. Reducing delay in construction projects will effectively increase construction productivity and will affect the economy positively.