Barriers to Partnering Implementation in Sarawak’s Construction Industry

Malaysia's construction industry is grappling with partnering issues due to inconsistent collaborations and consensus.Sarawak's construction sector, like many others, faces challenges in effective collaboration due to strained relationships among stakeholders.This hinders the adoption of partnering arrangements that could expedite project outcomes, highlighting the need for improved project performance and professionalism in the construction sector.Hence, the aim of the present study is to examine critical barriers to partnering implementation in the Sarawak construction industry and to recommend strategies that can be adopted to enhance partnering implementation.Probability sampling is a research technique that involves randomly selecting participants from various sectors who have participated in partnering projects.This method ensures high validity, minimizes biases, and aids in identifying future research trends by using descriptive analysis and mean for data analysis.A total of 103 responses were obtained from the professionals' team, including the G5 and G6 contractors, in this research.The duration of the study took about 2 years to be completed.The results show that the most significant barriers to partnering implementation are "lack of open and honest communication", "proper understanding of the concept is lacking", "unwillingness to compromise", and "lack of trust among the participants".Respondents suggest two strategies to improve partnering implementation: resolving communicationrelated issues in a working team and having a clear understanding of the partnering concept before the project starts.To successfully implement a project, it is crucial for all parties involved to have a comprehensive understanding of the partnering concept beforehand.Addressing barriers in Sarawak can improve governance, community practices, communication, understanding, compromise, trust, resource management, public services, and community ties, contributing to sustainable development.The results provide inspiration and guidance to the construction industry to implement partnership as the preferred approach in future projects.