24th International Congress on Project Management and Engineering

Alcoi, 7th – 10th July 2020

01-014

FACTORS INFLUENCING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS DELAY: AN

EXPLORATORY STUDY AT A JORDANIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITY

Aladayleh Jameel, Khaled (1); Ferrer Gisbert, Pablo S. (2); Fuentes Bargues, José Luis
(3)
(1)
Mut'ah University, (2)
Dto. Proyectos de Ingeniería (Univ. Politècnica de València), (3)
Universitat Politècnica de València

Construction delay is a common problem in engineering projects, particularly in Jordan,

that has been widely studied. According to the literature, many indicators were identified
that could cause project delay, and this study focuses on identifying the main factors that
can be extracted from these indicators. To achieve this objective, a pilot study would be
carried out at Mut’ah University in Jordan. The researchers will develop a questionnaire,
based on previous studies in the same field, which will be refined by presenting it to a
group of academics at Mut’ah University and other universities in Jordan, in addition to
a group of practitioners in the field (e.g. project managers, project engineers,
contractors, etc.). The data collected will be subjected to exploratory factor analysis to
determine the latent dimensional in the data set. The resulted measurement model will
serve supervisors, project managers, decision-makers, as well as academics to highlight
the critical factors that influence the delay of the projects. Finally, this measurement
model could be used for further future studies related to the impact of these factors on
project success.

Keywords: project handover; public Jordanian universities; facility management;

exploratory factor analysis

FACTORES INFLUYENTES EN EL RETRASO DE LOS PROYECTOS DE

CONSTRUCCIÓN: UN ESTUDIO EXPLORATORIO EN UNA UNIVERSIDAD
PÚBLICA JORDANA

El retraso en la construcción es un problema común en los proyectos de ingeniería,

particularmente en Jordania, que ha sido ampliamente estudiado. En la literatura
científica se han identificado muchos indicadores que podrían causar el retraso del
proyecto, y este estudio se centra en la identificación de los principales factores que se
pueden extraer de estos indicadores. Para lograr este objetivo, se llevará a cabo un
estudio piloto en la Universidad de Mut'ah en Jordania. Los investigadores elaborarán
un cuestionario, basado en estudios anteriores sobre el tema, que será refinado
presentándolo a un grupo de académicos de la Universidad de Mut'ah y otras
universidades de Jordania, además de a un grupo de profesionales del sector
(directores e ingenieros de proyectos, contratistas, etc.). Los datos recogidos se
someterán a un análisis factorial exploratorio para determinar la dimensión latente del
conjunto de datos. El modelo de medición resultante podrá servir a supervisores,
directores de proyecto, decisores y académicos para poner de manifiesto los factores
críticos que influyen en el retraso de los proyectos. Dicho modelo podría ser utilizado
para futuros estudios relacionados con la influencia de estos factores en el éxito del
proyecto.

Palabras clave: fase de entrega de proyectos; facility management; universidades

públicas jordanas; análisis factorial exploratorio
Correspondencia: Pablo Ferrer Gisbert [email protected]

109
1. Introduction
Although the construction industry has grown significantly in Jordan, delays and cost overruns
have become a hallmark of public university projects, where there are many projects notorious
for the delay (Assaf et al., 2006). The main goals of any construction project are time, cost,
quality, and safety (Barry et al., 2011). Unfortunately, the delay phenomenon negatively affects
all parties involved within the project like the owner (university), consultant (engineering office
department in the university), and contractor. Extending the time leads to additional expenses
that increase the cost of the project (Mahamid, 2011). In order to ensure projects are completed
within the time budgeted, the reasons for the delay must be identified first. Once these factors
are clear, parties can take steps to avoid such delays. Therefore, understanding and identifying
these factors are very important, as it helps to achieve project objectives in terms of time, cost
and quality (Mahamid, 2011).
Data were obtained from Mut’ah University campus (south of Jordan), specifically from the
engineering office (engineering office department - Mut’ah University), which represents the
engineering consulting office. Fifteen projects were studied during the previous two decades
to confirm the duration of the contract. It was found that there are eight projects were delayed,
which represents 53% of the total projects that are late for delivery in university campus. Two
of these projects were delayed due to the bankruptcy of the contractor, forcing the university
to change the contractor. As a result of this termination, the new contract was signed by other
contractors with additional expenses to complete the remaining work, which affected the
participants and the main function of the university.
The delay in the projects is a common problem and becomes a reason to complete the project
with significantly exceeding the cost (requires a budget higher than estimated), extended time,
poor quality delivery and contract termination (Ramanathan et al., 2012). For the university
(owner), the delay in construction is a loss of revenue, a decrease in productivity, depending
on existing buildings, and an impact on the university's function. The delay in construction
projects is due to various factors or causes. These causes lead to a delay in the handover of
the building, and this delay ultimately leads to negative impacts on all parties involved. If the
major factors that affect the delay of projects executed in Jordanian universities were identified,
the level of management could effectively plan to implement an effective performance
development plan in terms of project success, proportional with the mission and vision of
universities.
1.1 Literature review
In construction, the delay can be defined as "the additional time consumed to complete a
project beyond the originally stipulated contractual date agreed by the parties to deliver the
project" (Ramanathan et al., 2012). There is a lack of studies in projects executed on public
universities’ campus. Various articles have discussed the causes of delays in construction
projects in many ways; some studies have identified the main causes of delays in many
countries and different types of projects, while other studies have discussed ways to analyze
delays and proposed ways to alleviate them. Al-Momani (2000) researched construction
projects in Jordan and found that delays happened in 106 (82%) out of 130 public projects
evaluated. Al-Momani (2000) mentioned that there have been seven main causes of
construction delay as the designers, user changes, climatic changes, site conditions, late
deliveries of material, economic conditions, and increase in the quantity. Sweis (2008)
identified as the most common causes the financial difficulties a contractor faces and many
variation orders by the owner. The weather conditions and changes in government regulations
and laws are among the least important reasons for the construction industry delays in Jordan.
Samarah and Bekr, (2016) identified the 55 important factors of delay in Jordan which had
hardly affected by time overruns and expansion of cost. They surveyed to identify the critical

110
factors of delay which reduced the performance of Jordan construction in which 146
respondents were involved. According to Samarah and Bekr, (2016), the ten most important
factors causing delays in public sector projects in Jordan are 1 inadequate management and
supervision by the contractor, 2 owner's changes in design, 3 insufficient planning, and control
by the contractor, 4 using the lowest bid that leads to decreased performance, 5 changes in
the scope of the project, 6 errors in design and contract documents, 7 progress payments are
not made promptly by the owner, 8 rework due to errors during construction, 9 changes in the
original design, and 10 low level productivity. Likewise, Odeh and Batinah (2002) also
surveyed construction contractors and consultants to examine the main causes of delays in
construction projects in Jordan. They concluded that the most important factors were the
intervention of the owner, insufficient contractor experience, financing and payments, work
productivity, slow decision-making, improper planning, and subcontractors.
In the case of developing countries, in Saudi Arabia, Assaf et al. (2006) researched time
overrun (delay) in numerous sorts of construction projects within the state. They noted that
only 30% of construction projects were meted out within the time while 70% of construction
projects time overrun. In this research, 73 factors of delay were identified and grouped into
nine categories. It concluded that all factors related to the labour, contractor, project, owner,
and consultant are on the highest rank and all three parties agreed to the factor of a change
order. In other works (Assaf and Al-Hejji, 2006; Pourrostam et al., 2011; Kumar 2016;
Samarghandi et al., 2016) the financial problems, inflation, late payments, change orders by
the client, planning and programming errors, slowness in the decision by the client, etc., were
the most common causes in developed countries. Numerous papers have been published on
the topic of the project delay, but universities have not received sufficient researches on the
reasons for delaying their projects, and no specific study on the construction delay in the higher
learning institutions has been conducted yet, but studies on the general construction have
been reported. Tawil et al. (2014) found that there lots of causes of delay that contribute to
slowing down the construction sector in high educational facilities in Malaysia. According to
this research, these factors were as follows: financial difficulties faced by contractor, poor
monitoring by the contractor, lack of consultants experience, changes in design, too many
variation orders by the owner, delay in making decisions by the project owner, and delays in
delivering materials on site. Most delay factors are internal factors group responsibility of the
contractor and the management, so the management of the construction supposed to put plans
for delay elements and besides that, they should prepare for such delays like simulating
several delay scenarios before beginning to build the construction project (Ramanathan et al.,
2012).
In construction claims, the expression “delay” is employed to mean two different but related
issues. The delay is often used to mean the time during which some parts of the construction
project have been extended to what was originally planned due to various unexpected
circumstances (Barry et al., 2011). A delay is often an occurrence that affects the performance
of an activity, with or without affecting the completion, the fulfillment of the project, while
disruption is an interruption in the planned work sequence or the workflow (Ramanathan et al.,
2012). The delay is characterized by the fact that the period of work activities or general
achievement may not be extended. The disturbance is a specific productivity loss resulting
from changes in the working conditions in which this activity is carried out (Acharya et al.,
2006). Lost productivity is an inevitable consequence of disruption because in the end more
work and equipment are needed, not to mention working hours to do the same work (Tawil et
al., 2014). It is generally recognized that building delay is the most common, costly, complex
and risky issue you face in construction projects. Because of the extreme importance of time
to both the owner and the contractor, it is the source of recurrent disputes and claims that lead
to lawsuits. The delay can be caused by several unexpected events during construction, which
increases the time needed to complete the work or increase the work that must be completed

111
within a specific period. In this arrangement, construction delays can be categorized according
to their source and timing (Acharya et al., 2006).

2. Objective
The main objectives of this study include the following:
1. To identify the various factors which are mostly influencing the delay of projects in the
universities’ campus.
2. Develop valid and reliable measurement scale for the most appropriate factors
influencing the delay of universities’ campus projects.

3. Research methodology
This section focuses on the methodology used, presenting the study population and sample,
data collection tools, reliability and validity of the measurement model. It also shows the main
study factors and statistical tools used. This chapter also presents the results of data analysis
related to the exploratory study. The data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software
version 22. The data analysis included the sample description in addition to the exploratory
factor. This study adopted the descriptive approach to describe the study sample, in addition
to the analytical approach with the aim of building a measurement tool characterized by valid
and reliable indicators of the factors.

3.1 Study instruments and sampling

The researcher pooled several items from literature in order to measure factors that cause the
delay in project delivery on time. Several previous studies were used to develop the
dimensions and items of the questionnaire. The initial questionnaire included 85 items. The
questionnaire was presented to several experts in the field of project management, their
observations were considered in order to ensure the credibility of drafting items. The
questionnaire was presented to a group of academics at the College of engineering and
College of management in order to ensure face and content validity. Modifications were made
upon their recommendation; the questionnaire was settled 70 items to measure 13 factors.
The study population also consists of engineers working in the engineering office department
in Jordanian universities as a consultant and resident engineer. The number of public
Jordanian universities is 10 and the researcher has not been able to determine the size of the
study population accurately. So, the researcher adopted a purposive sampling method to serve
the objective of the study. Four public Jordanian universities were visited, and the engineers
responsible for the projects were targeted. The questionnaire was distributed to them before
that, factors that cause project delay delivery were explained to each respondent, in addition
to the items that concern each factor. 5-point Likert scale ranging from “Strongly disagree=1”
to “Strongly agree=5” was used. Most of the questionnaires were distributed directly or by
email. Table 1 displays the demographic characteristics of the study sample.

Table 1: Demographic characteristics of respondents

Category Classification Freq. %

Organization role in construction industry Consultants 13 11.6
Clients/Owner 22 19.6
Contractors 77 68.8
Years of experience Less than 5 year 58 51.7
6-10 year 6 5.4

112
 11-15 year 14 12.5
16-20 year 30 26.8
Above 20 year 4 3.6
Working group Project manager 16 14.3
Site engineer 52 46.4
Designer engineer 7 6.2
Quantity surveyor 12 10.7
Resident Engineer 16 14.4
Administrative manager 9 8
Professional project manager certification (PMP) Yes 5 4.5
No 107 95.5

3.2 Exploratory factor analysis (EFA)

Exploratory factor analysis was used to develop an appropriate scale to measure the
dimensions of the study, and to verify the reliability of the study instrument using Cronbach's
Alpha for the scale items with the following ranges: Cα>0.9 denotes excellent, 0.9>Cα>0.8 as
good, 0.8>Cα>0.7 as acceptable. Exploratory factor analysis was used to evaluate the latent
dimensions in the dataset. Likewise, an exploratory analysis was used to determine which
items are most appropriate to measure those factors and how these items converge to the
study factors, and to verify their consistency. For this purpose, the researchers used a sample
consisting of 123 responses from engineering who worked in the projects at universities. 11
questionnaires were excluded because they were not valid for analysis, as the number of
unanswered questions (missing values) exceeded 20% (Rubin, 1987). The number of
questionnaires valid for analysis were 112 responses and the exploratory study reflected the
opinions of project managers regarding the dimensions of the study (table 2).
The main objective of the exploratory analysis is to determine the level of appropriateness of
the items for each latent dimension, this will lead to an increase in the reliability of the
measurement scale by eliminating inappropriate items, as well as increasing the convergent
validity. Additionally, eliminating items that have multiple loads on more than one factor will
help to achieve discriminant validity as indicated by Hair et al. (2010). Before starting the
exploratory factor analysis, descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation for
answers were calculated. In addition, it was confirmed that the sample responses have
important statistical characteristics such as normal distribution, where the normal distribution
of the sample data was tested using the skewness and kurtosis measure (Kim, 2010).
In table 2, it was found that most of the skewness coefficients are less than 1.0. The absolute
value of the skewness less than 1.0 indicates that the data is distributed normally. Additionally,
the critical value of kurtosis (cr) that does not exceed 3.0 is also an indication that the data are
normally distributed (Mardia, 1995; Kline, 2010). The results show that the absolute value of
the skewness and the critical value of kurtosis came within the required criteria. Hair et al.
(2010) pointed out that the normal distribution of data is important in multivariate analysis, and
it is very sensitive to data that do not follow the normal distribution, especially for large samples.

113
 Table 2: Descriptive analysis and normal distribution results

Factor Mean SD Skewness Kurtosis c. r Min Max N

Design and contract related factors 3.353 0.814 -0.718 0.098 1 5 112
Labour related factors 3.104 0.706 -0.789 0.843 1 5 112
Material & Equipment 3.607 0.802 -0.887 0.876 1 5 112
Contractors and sub-contractors
4.515 0.758 -0.894 0.642 1 5 112
related factors
Government policy 3.289 0.814 -0.787 0.824 1 5 112
Construction related factors 4.752 0.771 0.824 0.654 1 5 112
Communication and knowledge
3.518 0.786 0.816 0.863 1 5 112
sharing
Environmental related factors 4.107 0.822 0.723 0.852 1 5 112
Health & Safety related factors 3.17 0.712 -0.849 0.085 1 5 112
Client related factors 3.76 0.819 -0.712 0.772 1 5 112
Consultant related factors 3.115 0.911 0.815 0.981 1 5 112
Management related factor 3.254 0.961 0.826 0.991 1 5 112
Financial related factors 3.265 0.715 0.725 0.916 1 5 112

An exploratory analysis was carried out several times using the Maximum Likelihood and the
VARIMAX-Rotation method to extract a simplified data structure. The researchers excluded
the items whose loading factor was less than 0.50. According to Hair et al. (2010), if the sample
size exceeds 100 to less than 120 responses, the loading factors that are less than 0.50 should
be eliminated. Items with multiple loads on more than one factor were also eliminated (factor
loading indicates the correlation of the item with the other factors). Items that composed a
single factor are determined based on its eigenvalue that exceeds 1.00 which is the sum of
squares of the factor loading. Eigenvalue indicates the importance of the factor in calculating
the variance in the measurement scale. The number of factors extracted and the most
explanatory for the variation can be inferred by reviewing the Screen Plot, which indicates that
the factors that have been retained are 12, as the sample did not see the management related
factor as one of the appropriate factors to measure the delay in project delivery. Also, there is
an item that converged with the financial related factors which is MRF3. These factors that can
be extracted from the data explain 61.279 of the total variances (see table 3). These factors
with eigenvalue greater than 1.00 are considered the most appropriate factors in the
measurement scale to explain the variance in the responses of the sample. The variance
explained indicates high explanatory power of the 13 factors and this value can be considered
satisfactory in order to explain the total variance (Hair et al., 2010). After deletion of the low-
factor loading items, the multiple-loading items, Kaiser–Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett’s test
of sphericity had to be evaluated to ensure the adequacy of the samples for exploratory factor
analysis.
Kim and Bentler (2002) indicated that factor analysis is considered appropriate if KMO has a
value greater than 0.8 and a Bartlett test is statistically significant. The value of KMO was
confirmed to determine the level of adequacy of the sample. Bartlett's test of sphericity verified
the validity and reliability of factors and assured that the correlations were enough between
the items before extracting the factors. The value of KMO was verified as 0.849 and that the
results of Bartlett's test were statistically significant, indicating the adequacy of the sample.

114
 Table 3: Total variance explained

Extraction Sums of Squared Rotation Sums of

Initial Eigenvalues
Loadings Squared Loadings
Factor
% of Cumulative % of Cumulative
Total Total Total
Variance % Variance %
1 9.488 18.247 18.247 8.607 16.551 16.551 3.395
2 3.916 7.53 25.777 3.802 7.312 23.863 3.496
3 3.441 6.617 32.394 3.112 5.985 29.848 2.899
4 3.347 6.436 38.83 3.008 5.784 35.632 5.596
5 3.015 5.798 44.628 2.866 5.512 41.144 2.795
6 2.733 5.255 49.884 2.422 4.657 45.801 5.704
7 2.49 4.789 54.673 2.101 4.041 49.842 5.556
8 2.084 4.008 58.68 1.701 3.272 53.114 4.204
9 1.723 3.314 61.995 1.337 2.572 55.686 2.613
10 1.494 2.874 64.868 1.054 2.028 57.713 3.021
11 1.305 2.509 67.377 0.944 1.816 59.529 6.57
12 1.301 2.501 69.879 0.91 1.75 61.279 3.495

Extraction method: Maximum likelihood.

a. When factors are correlated, sums of squared loadings cannot be added to obtain a total variance.

Finally, the measurement scale was settled on 49 items loaded on 12 factors after deleting 21
items due to the weak coefficient of loading and cross-loading on more than one factor. This
means that the sample members agreed that these items are the most appropriate for
measuring these factors. Table 4 reveals the pure matrix of factors and the items that measure
these factors. It is noted from the table that all the retained items loading exceed 0.50 as
indicated by Hair et al. (2010).

Table 4: Factor analysis of components reveals the pure matrix of factors

%
Factor
Nº Delay related factors CODE variance
loading
explained

Factor 1 Design and contract related factors DCF 18.247

1 Practice of allocating contract to lowest bidder DCF1 0.503
2 Mistakes and discrepancies in design documents DCF2 0.615
3 Unrealistic contract duration DCF3 0.603
4 Late in reviewing and approving of contract DCF4 0.748

115
5 Contract modifications (replace and add new
DCF8 0.714
works to the project; change in specifications)
Factor 2 Labour related factors LRF 7.53
6 Low productivity of labour LRF1 0.758
7 Shortage of technical staff /Shortage
LRF2 0.674
of skilled labour
Factor 3 Material & Equipment MEF 6.617
8 Delay in material delivery /Poor material handling
MEF1 0.555
on site
9 Inappropriate or low quality of materials MEF2 0.644
10 Shortage of materials in the market MEF3 0.819
Factor 4 Contractors and sub-contractors related factors CCF 6.436
11 Contractor's deficiencies in planning and
CCF1 0.617
scheduling at the pre-construction stage
12 Unsuitable management structure and style
CCF2 0.644
of contractor
13 Delay furnishing and deliver the site to the
CCF3 0.569
contractor by the owner
14 Poor site management by contractors CCF5 0.551
15 Ineffective coordination between contractors and
CCF6 0.687
other parties
16 Delays in subcontractors work CCF8 0.628
17 Conflicts in subcontractors schedule in the
CCF9 0.597
execution of the project
18 Unavailability of incentives for contractor for
CCF10 0.659
finishing ahead of schedule
19 lack of certificate competency of contractor
CCF11 0.615
and sub-contractor
Factor 5 Government policy GPF 5.798
20 Change in government policy GPF1 0.592
21 Commitment of government GPF2 0.549
22 Difficulties in obtaining work permits from the
GPF3 0.649
authorities
Factor 6 Construction related factors CRF 5.255
23 Suspension in construction works CRF1 0.701
24 Improper construction method CRF2 0.568
25 Work overload and rework due to error during
CRF3 0.563
construction
26 Inappropriate construction methods used CRF4 0.558
27 Poor and Ineffective construction project
CRF6 0.531
planning and scheduling
Factor 7 Communication and knowledge sharing CKF 4.789

116
 28 Insufficient information, missing information and
CKF1 0.561
wrong information
29 Slow information flow between project
CKF2 0.696
team members
30 Poor communication and coordination
CKF4 0.686
between parties
Factor 8 Environmental related factors ERF 4.008
31 Natural changing in environment ERF1 0.544
32 Inclement weather ERF2 0.563
33 Natural disasters ERF4 0.667
Factor 9 Health & Safety related factors HSF 3.314
34 Safety constraints HSF1 0.589
35 Accidents and injuries HSF2 0.563
36 Safety during construction activities HSF3 0.654
Factor 10 Client related factors CLF 2.874
37 Late in approving design documents CLF3 0.615
38 Work suspension by clients CLF4 0.562
39 Delay by change orders by client CLF6 0.721
40 Owner interference CLF7 0.625
41 Misunderstanding of owner’s requirements
CLF8 0.711
by the contractor
Factor 11 Consultant related factors COF 2.509
42 Absence or Irregular presence of consultant's site
COF1 0.78
staff
43 Lack of consultant’s site staff Experience
COF2 0.825
(managerial and supervisory personnel)
44 Design documentary by the consultants COF3 0.793
45 Conflicts amongst consultant with other parties COF4 0.562
Factor 12 Financial related factors FRF 2.501
46 Underestimation of productivity and inadequate
MRF3 0.819
review
47 Budget and cash flow FRF1 0.809
48 Financial problems (delayed payments, financial
FRF2 0.665
difficulties, and economic problems).
49 Difficulties in financing project by contractor FRF3 0.564
Extraction method: maximum likelihood. Rotation method: Varimax with Kaiser normalization.
a. Rotation converged in 8 iterations.
Finally, the Cronbach alpha coefficient was calculated for the factors and items in the
measurement scale. Reliability in each factor were ranged from 0.715 to 0.889 as, design and
contract related factors 0.716, labour related factors 0.846, material & equipment 0.852,
contractors and subcontractors related factors 0.715, government policy 0.766, construction
related factors 0.726, communication and knowledge sharing 0.811, environmental related

117
factors 0.859, health & safety related factors 0.889, client related factors 0.874, consultant
related factors 0.816, financial related factors 0.86. This indicates a consistency in the
measurement scale and that gives consistent and reliable results (Nunnally, 1967).

4. Results and discussion

In the result of the extracted factors, the first factor named design and contract related factors
explain 18.247% of the total variance of the linear component (factor) and contain five
attributes as in table 4. The most common method for university public sector bidding is a
design-build contract (Alkilani and Jupp, 2012). In Jordan, it is clear that most construction
contracts for public projects tend to have the lowest price for contractors, whether they are fully
qualified or do not use a competitive bidding process (Al-Kilani Jubeh, 2012; Odeh and Butina,
2002). Han et al. (2013) explain that design errors and inconsistencies that lead to rework and
/or design changes are the main contributors to the delay scheduling. Contract modifications
contribute to delay due to rework produced by errors by owner and consultant and is an effect
caused by improper design brief and poor coordination between the owner, designer, and
engineer.
The second factor is labour related factors, which explain 7.53% of the total variance of the
linear component and contain two attributes: shortage of technical staff and the shortage of
skilled labour. If workers become more skilled with relevant training, this can increase labour
productivity.
The third factor named material & equipment explains that 6.617% of the total variance of the
linear component and contains three attributes Delay in material delivery / poor material
handling on-site is certainly an issue in the construction industry in public universities in Jordan
and it is a result of improper scheduling or lack of understanding of lead time of materials
delivery. This case has also similar rank in other researches (Kaming et al.,1997; Odeh et al.
2002; Frimpong et al., 2003; Sambasvian et al., 2007).
Nine attributes have composed the fourth-factor. Contractors and sub-contractors related
factors explain 6.346% of the total variance of the linear component. Several studies (Odeh
and Battaineh, 2002, Frimpong et al., 2003; Koushki et al., 2005) indicate that this factor is one
of the most important delay factors in construction projects. In planning and scheduling at the
pre-construction stage, Gibson (2012) indicated that deficiencies and poor planning in the pre-
construction phase lead to delays in handing over the construction phases. Conflict in the sub-
contractor schedule in the execution of the project leads to poor productivity and quality of
work, therefore, major contractors must select an experienced sub-contractor and must adopt
appropriate regulations and procedures for their selection, supervision, and management
(Hartmann and Caerteling, 2010).
Three attributes have many impacts on construction projects with factor named government
policy: (5.798% of the overall variance of the linear component) change in government policy,
the commitment of government, and difficulties in obtaining work permits from the authority,
because it is usually an obstacle to the owner and also the contractor in obtaining the work
permit to avoid the delay during the construction stage. One recent example is what the
government implemented to stop all construction work in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic
(COVID-19) during March 2020, where this problem is outside the control of the contractor and
the owner.
The sixth factor, named construction related factors, explains 5.255% of the whole variance of
the linear component and contains five attributes associated with the methods utilized in
construction management: suspension in construction works, inappropriate construction
methods employed by the contractor, improper construction method, work overload and rework

118
due to error during construction by the contractor, and ineffective construction project planning
and scheduling.
The seventh factor, named communication and knowledge sharing factor, explains 4.789 % of
the total variance of the linear component, with three attributes related to it. It explains the
importance of proper communication and knowledge sharing in construction, which has
reportedly been one of the critical influencing factors for construction delay in a university’s
campus projects.
The eighth factor environmental related factors explains 4.008% of the overall variance of the
linear component having three attributes. Swiss (1998) defined natural disaster impact as
constituting the direct, indirect, and intangible losses caused by the environmental.
Sambasivan and Soon (2007) in Malaysia and Al-Momani (2000) in Jordan considered
weather conditions as one of the factors of delay in projects.
Three attributes compose the ninth factor, health & safety related factors explains 3.314% of
the total variance of the linear component. Failure to acknowledge the contractor’s commitment
to comply with safety rules in every construction project can lead to disputes that delay the
project, especially in public universities.
The tenth factor, client related factors explain 2.874% of the total variance of the linear
component with five attributes. Late in approving design documents, work suspension by
clients, change orders, interference, and misunderstanding of owner’s requirements by the
contractor, these interventions can come through the administration of the university as the
main owner and either intervention within the way of the workflow, because it is often an
obstacle to the owner and also the contractor within the construction work and it requires re-
work several times, and this results in project delays. This finding agrees with Mahamid (2011)
that rework and change orders are the most reasons for project delays that result in conflict
between contractors and clients on construction sites.
There are four attributes listed under the eleventh factor, named consultant related factors
explain 2.509% of the total variance of the linear component. Poor management and
coordination between the contractor and consultants may delay in agreeing to provide
submitted shop drawings. Therefore, an issue between the contractor and the owner may arise
from the responsibility for the delay. Lack of consultant experience in public universities can
delay construction operations due to unconvincing interventions.
Three attributes listed under the twelfth factor named, financial related factors explain 2.501%.
Budget and cash flow, difficulties in financing projects by the contractor, which leads to delays
in completing the work and activities, and thus delaying project delivery. Financial problems
(delayed payments, financial difficulties, and economic problems by the owner), it relates to
the financial problems and difficulties facing the governmental university as the owner of the
project, for economic reasons within the university, or economic reasons as a result of the
government's policy of approving the budget, which end up delaying the financial payments to
the contractor and thus delaying the completion of the project at the specified time. Although
this factor is weakly loaded in this exploratory study, it is very important, because bids are
subject to the government bidding system, which greatly affects project delays on campus due
to late of payments.

4. Conclusion and recommendation

This study aimed to explore the factors that lead to delaying projects in Jordanian universities.
A total of 13 factors were identified, as well as items that measure these factors were pooled
based on scanning the literature. An exploratory study was conducted in the Jordanian
universities, where the researcher obtained a sample consisting of 112 experts, project
managers, or those related to the project. The data were analyzed using exploratory factor

119
analysis. Results indicated 12 factors that fit in the environment of Jordanian universities
whereas the sample evaluated that the management related factor (MRF) couldn’t be
considered one of the critical factors in delaying the project. Measurement scale validity and
reliability have been confirmed, as well as recommendations for decision-makers in the project
management environment have also been reported.
The results reflect the situations that are found in public university projects. In order to
successfully address time issues over deadlines, cost escalation, and lack of quality, the
causative factors must be understood. On the other hand, it is important to ensure the
optimization of project implementation and satisfactory improvement factors for clients. The
result of the study can help project managers and their owners to monitor their projects
carefully by searching in particular for factors with indicators of high importance to projects.
This research focuses on investigating the most important factors that lead to project delays,
and universities should make efforts in order to avoid projects delays, which leads to the loss
of many opportunities. The researchers recommend including larger samples, larger sectors,
and focus on the important areas that should be focused on to avoid delaying projects in times
of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is
not considered enough to develop the theoretical foundation for the project delay factors.
Therefore, an empirical study must be carried out in order to confirm those factors using
confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

References.
Acharya, N. K., Lee, Y. D., Kim, S. Y., Lee, J. C., and Kim, C. S. (2006). “Analysis of
construction delay factor: A Korean perspective.” Proceedings of the 7th Asia Pacific
Industrial Engineering and Management Systems Conference, 883–895.
Alkilani, S.G. and Jupp, J.R. ‘paving the road for sustainable construction in developing
countries: a study of the Jordanian construction industry’. Australasian Journal of
Construction Economics and Building, Conference series, (2012), 12 (1) 84-93.
Al-Momani A. H., (2000). Examining service quality within construction processes.
Technovation, 20, 643-651.
Assaf, S.A. and S. Al-Hejji, Causes of delay in large construction projects. International Journal
of Project Management, 2006. 24(4): p. 349-357.
Bramble, Barry B. and Callahan, Michael T. (1987) Construction delay claims, Wiley Law
Publications, 2nd Edition, U.S.A.
Chan DWM, Kumaraswamy MM. Reasons for delay in civil engineering projects––the case of
Hong Kong. Hong Kong Inst Eng Trans 1996;2(3):1–8.
Frimpong, Y., Oluwoye, J., and Crawford, L. (2003). “Causes of delay and cost overruns in
construction of groundwater projects in a developing country; Ghana as a case study.”
Int. J. Project Management, Vol. 21, pp. 321-326.
G Edward Gibson, R. B. (2012). Common barriers to effective front-end planning of capital
Projects. Construction Research Congress 2012, 2459-2468.
Hartmann, A., and J. Caerteling. 2010. “Subcontractor procurement in construction: The
Interplay of Price and Trust.” Supply Chain Management: An International Journal 15
(5): 354–362.
Hair Jr, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., & William, C. (2010), Multivariate data analysis
with readings. New Jersy: Prentice Hall.

120
Han, S., Love, P., and Pena-Mora, F. (2013). A system dynamics model for assessing the
impact of design error in construction projects. Mathematical and Computer Modelling,
57(9-10): 2044-2053.
Kaming, P.F., Olomolaiye, P.O., Holt, G.D., and Harris, F.C. (1997). “Factors influencing
construction time and cost overruns on highrise projects in Indonesia.” Construction
Management and Economics, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 83-94.
Kim, K. H. (2010). Tests of homogeneity of means and covariance matrices for multivariate
incomplete data. Psychometrika, 67(4), 609-624.
Kim, K. H., & Bentler, P. M. (2002). Tests of homogeneity of means and covariance matrices
for multivariate incomplete data. Psychometrika, 67(4), 609–
624.https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02295134.
Kline, R. B. (2010). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (3rd ed.). New York,
NY: Guilford.
Kumar, D. R. (2016). Causes and effects of delays in Indian construction projects. International
Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET), 3(4), 1831-1837.
Mahamid, I. 2011. “Risk matrix for factors affecting time delay in road construction projects:
Owners' Perspective.” Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management 18
(6): 609–617.
Mardia, K. V. (1995). How to use tests for univariate normality to assess multivariate normality.
American Statistician, 49(1), 64-70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/ 00031305.
N.M Tawil, M. A. Khoiry, N. Hamzah, W.H.W. Badaruzzaman, I. Arshad, A.A. Azrillah and N.B.
Idris. Determination of the causes of the construction delay in Higher Learning
Institutions in Malaysia using the Rasch Model Analysis. Life Sci J 2014;11(7):308-316.
Nunnally, Jum C. (1967), Psychometric Theory, New York: McGraw-Hill.
Odeh, A.M. and H.T. Battaineh, Causes of construction delay: traditional contracts.
International Journal of Project Management, 2002. 20(1): p. 67-73.
Pourrostam, T., Ismail, A., & Mansounejad, M. (2011). Identification of success factors in
minimizing delays on construction in IAU Shoushtar-Iran. Applied Mechanics and
Materials, 94(96), 2189-2193.
Ramanathan C, Narayanan S P and Idrus A B (2012) ‘Construction delays causing risks on
time and cost – a Critical Review’, Australasian Journal of Construction Economics
and Building, 12 (1) 37-57. Available at:
http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/ajceb/article/download/2330/2811
[Accessed 09 May 2015].
Rubin, J. (Ed.). (1987). Learner strategies in language learning. Macmillan College.
Samarah, Ashraf, and Ghanim A Bekr. 2016. “Causes and effects of delay in public
construction projects in Jordan.” (5): 87–94.
Samarghandi, H., Tabatabaei, S. M., Taabayan, P., Hashemi, A. M., & Willoughby, K. (2016).
Studying the reasons for delay and cost overrun in construction projects: the case of
Iran. Journal of construction in developing countries, 21(1), 51-84.
Sambasivan, M. and Soon, Y.W. (2007). “Causes and effects of delays in Malaysian
construction industry.” Int. J. Project Management, Vol. 25, pp. 517-526.
Sambasivan, M. and Soon, Y.W. (2007). “Causes and effects of delays in Malaysian
construction industry.” Int. J. Project Management, Vol. 25, pp. 517-526.

121
Sweis, G. 2008. “Delays in construction projects : The case of Jordan.” 26: 665–74.
Swiss Re (1998). Floods-an insurable risk?, Zurich, 48 p.

122