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Purpose – Non-value adding activities (NVAAs) are considered to be problematic in the management of projects. Reported research findings suggest that these NVAAs consume resources without necessarily adding value to completed tasks. The main aim of the research is to provide insights and plausible explanations concerning how NVAAs can propagate poor performance in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports on a quantitative survey conducted among public sector clients, consulting engineers, and civil engineering contractors in South Africa. Using a framework that was developed from the literature reviewed, the study proposed three conceptual qualitative models that were based on system dynamics. Findings – The study suggests that NVAAs that are prevalent in South African construction can impact project performance negatively in the form of cost and time overruns. It can also be argued that although there is commonality between NVAAs that are identified in South Africa and other countries, their frequency and effects on project performance differ. Research limitations/implications – The findings provide further insights about NVAAs that are related to the South African infrastructure sector only. Originality/value – The study, which is the first of such in South Africa, could lead to increased awareness among South African project stakeholders that are concerned about performance improvement from the lean construction perspective.

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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the level of collaborative working among project partners in South African construction. The construction industry is made up of a plethora of entities trading as consultants, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and manufacturers. The effort and contributions of these entities with the input of clients result in completed projects. However, the performance of the industry has continued to generate more negative, rather than positive, headlines. Typical headlines include defects, rework, delays, injuries and accidents, all of which are mostly blamed on the endemic fragmented nature of the industry. Design/methodology/approach – The assessment was undertaken through a quantitative survey conducted among general contractor (GC) members of the Master Builders South Africa. Findings – Selected findings relative to the research include short-term objectives and price-oriented approach are prevalent in the industry; poor problem-solving mechanisms exist between project partners; poor use of modularisation; significant numbers of irregular clients and rigid adherence to contents of contract data. Research limitations/implication – The research findings provide an insight rather than definitive information due to the limited response rate of the survey. Originality/value – The paper concludes that contractors should embrace collaborative procurement methods to improve performance and promote innovation in the industry.Recommendations include the availability of a consistent work load for the supply chain members as well as the improvement of the relationship between project partners, especially between contractors and their subcontractors/suppliers.

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