There is a great need for a well-functioning communication in the construction industry, with the reason that it is an extensive industry where many different professional roles are involved. Communication can be lacking in many areas and can turn into negative effects on a project. In the construction industry, unpredictable changes often occur, which can make effective communication more difficult to achieve.
This study is about understanding how communication can be challenging and affect construction projects during production. The purpose of this study is to find measures to prevent lack of communication and carefully study whether it can increase involvement, community, and motivation on a construction site, by examining and analyzing how information is disseminated among involved parties in a project under production.
The study answers the following questions:
- How do you communicate on a construction site?
- Does communication increase involvement, community, and motivation on a construction site?
- Can you save money by increasing communication skills at the construction site?
Qualitative interviews were conducted on some employees at GH Olofsson Bygg & Entreprenad AB to create an idea of how communication works and is experienced in their workplace.
The result of the interviews showed that communication was in some cases less good and that misunderstandings arose many times. The study delves into how communication is experienced and processed and how to make it more efficient. It also delves into which communication methods are used and which are most suitable in different situations. The results indicate that the most appreciated way to communicate is face-to-face meetings. However, it turned out that this method of communication is not always appropriate as factors such as time pressure or sudden changes may occur.
One measure that is discussed in the study is, among other things, that all employees at the company must complete a course that deals with the value of communication and how it can be applied in a way to reduce misunderstandings. By implementing that measure, communication deficiencies can be prevented from the beginning. As a result of this measure, money can be saved in the long run even though it can be costly in the beginning.