Constructing harmony

Suggests that the construction industry′s reputation for poor quality, including the failure to complete on time and within budget is well‐deserved, but that quality management holds the key to great improvements in this contractual minefield. Examines the role played by arbitration as an alternative to the law courts in construction disputes, plus the various relationships involved in construction industry project management. Illustrates four frequently conflicting elements that must be resolved by discussion before the project gets under way and argues that good management depends on balancing conflicting demands and negotiating a settlement of potential and actual disputes. Shows how contract management adjudication procedures can be controlled, from the architect′s original design to the hand‐over of the final building/edifice, concluding that, alongside TQM, a neutral adjudication tribunal is more likely to bring about a solution if it recognises the particular management culture associated with the construction industry.