The 'us and them' divide on construction sites: An undocumented phenomenon

Much of the construction industry experiences an underlying sense of 'us and them' between various parties. This undertone spans across relationships between the site and office teams or even client and contractor. Literature on theory, education, industrial relations, and management show that the phenomenon exists, yet relatively little remains published and documented for the wider construction sector. Using an inductive approach, this research addresses this knowledge gap by showcasing that the culture exists and is prominent among those working in the sector. The findings indicate that although it is an underlying industry trend, real solutions are difficult to pinpoint due to differences in project goals, individuals' perceptions, hierarchies and even personality types. Discussion is generated by to the lack of published literature on this phenomenon along with cultural issues affecting its spread among different personality types of construction projects, and the emergence of sets from interviews. This research discusses the complexities which contribute to the invisible divide within the construction workforce, consequently both practitioners and academics could possess greater ability to stimulate true collaboration.