Managerial Challenges of Construction Managers in the Indian Construction Industry: A Theoretical Study
Main Article Content
Abstract
The Indian construction industry is a crucial pillar of the country's economic development, urbanization, infrastructure expansion, and industrial progress. The increasing complexity of construction projects, technological change, resource limitations, and multi-stakeholder involvement have made the role of construction managers extremely challenging. The objective of this theoretical paper is to analyze the key managerial challenges faced by construction managers in the Indian construction industry and to present a managerial approach to address them. The study is based on a conceptual analysis of secondary sources, management theories, and construction management literature.
The study revealed that time and cost control, resource management, risk and uncertainty, stakeholder coordination, technological change, human resource leadership, and regulatory complexities are the key challenges facing construction managers. Along with technical proficiency, modern construction managers must develop leadership skills, effective communication skills, and strategic decision-making. The study also demonstrates that traditional control-based management approaches are shifting toward digital, collaborative, and innovation-based management systems.
Research findings indicate that risk assessment systems, digital project management, stakeholder engagement, skill development, and a safety-oriented work culture are essential for the success of construction projects. This study provides a theoretical foundation for effective construction management in the Indian construction industry and highlights the need for sustainable and technology-driven construction management models in the future.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
References
Barrie, D. S., & Paulson, B. C. (1992). Professional construction management: Including CM, design-construct, and general contracting (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Bockrath, J. T. (1986). Dunham and Young's contracts, specifications, and law for engineers (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Clough, R. H. (1986). Construction contracting. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Hinze, J. W. (2004). Construction planning and scheduling (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Nunnally, S. W. (2004). Construction methods and management (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
O’Brien, J. J., & Zilly, R. G. (1991). Contractor’s management handbook (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Kerzner, H. (2017). Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling (12th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Kaming, P. F., Olomolaiye, P. O., Holt, G. D., & Harris, F. C. (1997). Factors influencing construction time and cost overruns. Construction Management and Economics, 15(1), 83–94.
Love, P. E. D., Edwards, D. J., & Irani, Z. (2012). Moving beyond optimism bias and strategic misrepresentation in construction projects. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 59(4), 560–571.
PMI (Project Management Institute). (2021). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK Guide) (7th ed.). Newtown Square, Pennsylvania: Project Management Institute.
Walker, A. (2015). Project management in construction (6th ed.). Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.