A Comparative Study of Owner, Contractor, and Consultant Perspective on the Selection Criteria for Subcontractors

Up till now, most research on the selection of subcontractors in construction projects has focused on the factors considered by the main (general) contractors. The goal of this study is to identify the factors that other main stakeholders, namely clients and consultants, believe should be taken into
account when selecting subcontractors. The paper presents the results of a survey of experts from various backgrounds in the construction industry and conducts a comparative study of their perspectives in factors that should be considered in selecting subcontractors. The results of the survey show that
there are similarities and dissimilarities between perceptions of respondents with different background. For example, nearly all the respondents identified subcontractor’s past experience in similar projects and subcontractor’s available resources, as the most important factors that should be considered in selecting
subcontractors. However, while respondents from contractor organizations identified the lowest bid as one of the most important factors, those from consultant and client organizations identified subcontractor’s safety record, compliance with project schedule, and safety programs and past safety record
as their top considerations in selecting subcontractors. The paper provides an extensive statistical analysis to identify the impact of stakeholder’s background on their perspective in the importance of factors that should be considered in selecting subcontractors and discusses the similarities and dissimilarities
in their perspectives.