The effect of attitudinal differences on interface conflicts in large scale construction projects: a case study

Conflicts encountered in large scale construction projects occur in two categories: internal conflicts and interface conflicts. Internal conflicts are experienced among the project participants, whereas interface conflicts are between the construction project and groups outside the project. Many large scale construction projects often experience interface conflicts in the form of conflicting requirements from different social groups. This paper examines the attitudes of five groups of respondents on the factors leading to the interface conflicts experienced on the Yadana Natural Gas Pipeline Project (YNGPP) in Thailand as a case study. The study was conducted through questionnaire surveys of the five groups: the group affected by the project; the project participants; non-government organizations (NGOs) and interested organizations; academics and experts; and local government officials. The results show that these five groups have differences in attitudes towards the factors leading to the interface conflicts encountered on the project; and it is the differences in attitudes that generated the conflicts. The key variables were grouped into main categories and the degree of importance of each key factor leading to the interface conflicts was identified.