Corruption has long pervaded the construction industry in Zambia, as it involves interaction between various stakeholders and involves a certain level of cooperation in order to coordinate the numerous activities which make up the construction process. The balance between activities which legally facilitate this process and those which are tainted by concepts of corruption is not always clear. Corruption is commonly defined as the "abuse of public power for private benefit" (Rodriguez et al., 2005, p. 383), but it goes beyond public officials and often affects businesses and supply chains as well (Dixit, 2015; Cuervo-Cazurra, 2016). Corruption has many connotations and interpretations, varying according to time and place (Rose-Ackerman and Palifka, 2016). The common dimensions of corruption involve exchange, violation of norms, abuse of power, indirect victims and secrecy (Rabl and Kühlmann, 2008). The scale and complexity of many construction projects, together with the number of parties participating, the geographical locations where they are performed and the legal systems to which they are exposed can make them especially prone to bribery and corruption. This paper therefore is focused on how contextual factors fuel corruption in procurement in the Construction Sector. Findings from a two years' study, Options for Reducing Corruption in Procurement: The Case of the Construction Sector in Zambia, reveal that how people are socialised to relate to parents, elders and leaders has an effect on how corruption is perceived. In addition, evolving culture has led to a misinterpretation of cultural norms and its current use is aiding corruption.

Due to the magnitude and complexity of many of these projects, contractors have resorted to subcontracting to share responsibilities and mitigate project risks. The Zambian government has also invigorated the practice of subcontracting in the construction industry as it plays an imperative role in increasing economy viability and development of local contractors. Ministerial Statement on July 25, 2012 directed RDA to ensure minimum of 20 percent sub-contracting on all major road contracts to Zambian-Owned Companies. Instead of improving project success, subcontracting can act as a catalyst for poor project outcomes. Though there are many reasons that contribute to problems from subcontracting, a strained relationship between main contractors and subcontractors can be seen as a notorious contributor to poor project outcome. The study aimed at investigating the relationship between main contractors and subcontractors in Zambia, establish factors leading to interface problems and those factor that can help improve this relationship. Questionnaire survey was adopted in order to collect data and investigate the relationship. A total of 80 questionnaires were distributed. The questionnaires were distributed by hand and via email. Out of the targeted 80 respondents 56 responded, giving a response rate of 70 percent. The study established that the relationship between main contractors and subcontractors in Zambia needed to improve, as it was not in an effective state. Interface problems were caused by payment issues, poor communication, unexpected price escalations and poor construction work. In order to address interface problems, the study found that there was need for better communication between the parties, timely payments and subcontractors’ access to labour and machinery

Green building rating tools developed to assess the impact of buildings on the environment may not have all the appropriate methods and criteria for different environmental, economic, social and cultural conditions in the world. Assessment tools should be developed to meet minimum green building standards and aspirations. The challenge in developing countries like Zambia is that there is limited access to green building rating tools and a lack of technology and resources to have local tools. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to select methods and criteria for assessing green low-cost housing in Zambia from literature review and interviews with building practitioners. The 11th Sustainable Development Goal was part of literature review and some strategies were adopted as part of the criteria for green building assessment. A sequential mixed-method design was used to collect and analyze data through interviews and an online AHP evaluation of preferred criteria and methods. The results from the study suggest that the most preferred method of green building assessment is a Local Based Assessment, with local strategies and materials. Energy, water, health and wellbeing were determined to be the most preferred criteria for green building assessment. The proposed criteria could be used for guiding designers and planners in housing projects and for reviewing current building bye-laws.

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KM (knowledge management) has in the recent past been promoted as a means of harnessing and utilising intellectual resources and to improve innovation, business performance and client satisfaction within the construction industry. However, there has been no attempt to ascertain the required level of KM within any given firm. The study reported in this paper aimed at establishing a general equation for assessing a firm's required level of KM. Through literature review and a questionnaire survey, a total of 22 key indicators of KM were established. The interaction and effects of the key indicators against turnover and employee base were established, yielding an elliptic paraboloid fitted graph over which desirability could be calculated. It was observed that there is a continuous relationship among the firm's turnover, employee base and the identified key indicators. In practice, firms have different combinations of the employee base and turnover. The derived equation fits well with the different combinations. Firms can, through the use of such equations, determine the level of effort and investment required to implement KM.