Construction management

Ethics in Construction Management Construction Industry is the largest industry in the world and new techniques are being employed for efficient andsustainable construction. The experts and scholars in construction industry give a lot of importance of practicing ethics and moral values in construction management to achieve high levels of productivity for all the parties involved in a construction project resulting in a good contractual partnership. The construction industry promotes a high degree of professional ethics in dealings between owners, architects, engineers and contractors. There is a need to establish shared values to ensure integrity in the bidding and contracting process which can develop a professional companionship. Moreover the risks and losses should be complemented through financial compensations. If all the parties involved in a construction project will observe ethics of construction management only then a long-term association can be formed. Following are a few ethics of construction management: Client Service The contractor and the consultants involved in a construction project should serve the client with honesty and integrity. In order to achieve high levels of satisfaction from the client the contractor and the consultant should utilize their technical and organizational expertise to their best to so that the client can get a good return for his money. All the major decisions both in design and construction should be taken in consultation with the client and the client should be provided detailed information about the pros and cons of the use of various techniques involve in the project. Observing Standards and Codes of Construction In order to achieve high quality construction which is sustainable and good for global environment the consultants should design according to the specified codes and the construction contractors and sub-contractors should follow the standard procedures for construction, procurement and other phases of the project. The construction laws and legal practices of a certain region should be observed during construction. Conflict Management All the parties of the contract in a project including the client should avoid conflicts in the project and if there are any conflicts or legal issues with the construction site or design those should be resolved before the start of the construction. If a conflict arises among the parties of the contract or with the governmental or regulatory authorities, those should be solved according to the laws and proper legal proceeding should be adopted for conflict management. Health and Safety and Public Welfare The safety and wellbeing of the public as well as the workers working on the project should be given due consideration during the construction of the project. The labor force and workers should be given healthcare facilities and the set guidelines should be observed to ensure the site safety. Honesty in Depiction of Qualification The construction companies and the consultancy firms should show to the client their actual capacity of doing work and the actual technical expertise, training and experience of their staff when bidding for a project. While working on the project the consultant and the contractor should work according to the capacity shown to the client at the time of award of contract. Fair Competition The service providers in a construction project should follow the rule of fair competition and should give due respect to their professional colleagues and competitors. A contractor should prepare his own tender documents and give their own tender prices irrespective of the competitors’ prices. Quality should never be compromised while competing and the companies should make use of their capabilities to their best in order to win competitions. Same rules apply to the individuals working in the same organization. Timely and Authentic Provision of Information This is a very important rule in construction management as all the payments and reimbursements depend on the exchange of information and the written records between the parties of the contract. The confidential information should not be released to the public but the information which affects the public like the information related to infra-structure projects should be made public in time. Moreover the supervision consultant and third party analysts should provide authentic information about the status of the project. Professional Development The only way in which the construction industry can grow is through the professional development of the individuals involved in various different construction projects. The individuals and managers should continue to develop their knowledge and proficiency through research and practice and should get the help of colleagues. An environment should be established in which everyone shares information with each other for a collective benefit. Integrity of the Profession The individuals involved in the construction management should maintain the standards of the profession and should not commit any actions which are against the moral values of the profession. For the successful accomplishment of a construction project and to avoid conflicts these ethics should be observed strictly by the professionals involved in construction management for the collective benefit of the client, contractor, consultants and the general public because construction industry is a field which directly or indirectly influences each and every individual of a community. Works Cited Fellows, Richard, et al. Construction Management in Practice. N. p.: Wiley-Blackwell, 2001. Print. Fenn, Peter, and Rod Gameson. Construction Conflict Management and Resoultion. N. p.: Tailor & Francis, 1992. Print. Robinson, Simon. Engineering, Business and Professional Ethics. N. p.: Elsevier, 2007. Print.