Consequences of poor management of acculturation on large infrastructure projects

Schedule overruns on construction projects are still rampant despite the numerous research studies on the causes of delays and the identification of avoidance strategies. However, there has been a proclivity for most of the previous research studies to solely focus on the general causes of delays while ignoring the interrelated and reciprocal impacts of various delay factors on other causes of delays. This has restricted understanding of the prescription of appropriate mitigation strategies since delays are caused by several interrelated events that influence each other. To address this gap, research was undertaken to establish the causation mechanisms of delays on a large infrastructure project. A single case study approach focusing on a large infrastructure project was adopted. Secondary data in the form of project documents were collected and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of this study revealed that poor management of acculturation was a root cause of construction delays on this project. This research argues that reducing construction delays can be facilitated by developing and maintaining project culture.