Can professionalism make contract disputes in infrastructure projects disappear?

Despite general resignation that occurrence of disputes in construction projects is inevitable, it is possible to avoid or prevent them. That, however, requires anticipation and prediction of the series of events that might lead up to disputes and yet there is a general paucity of such information. The research reported in this paper sought to contribute to a better understanding of dispute-emergence mechanisms by exploring the series of factors that foster emergence of disputes in large infrastructure projects. To achieve that, a single case study methodology was adopted, focusing on a major dispute encountered in a large infrastructure project. Secondary qualitative data were collected and analysed using thematic analysis. This research highlights that a deficiency in professionalism facilitates dispute-emergence and highlights the need for upskilling construction industry professionals in the development and administration of construction contracts.