The problem of delays in the construction industry is a global phenomenon and the construction industry in Malaysia is no exception. The main purpose of this study is to identify the delay factors and their impact (effect) on project completion. Earlier studies either considered the causes or the effects of project delays, separately. This study takes an integrated approach and attempts to analyze the impact of specific causes on specific effects. A questionnaire survey was conducted to solicit the causes and effects of delay from clients, consultants, and contractors. About 150 respondents participated in the survey. This study identified 10 most important causes of delay from a list of 28 different causes and 6 different effects of delay. Ten most important causes were: (1) contractor's improper planning, (2) contractor's poor site management, (3) inadequate contractor experience, (4) inadequate client's finance and payments for completed work, (5) problems with subcontractors, (6) shortage in material, (7) labor supply, (8) equipment availability and failure, (9) lack of communication between parties, and (10) mistakes during the construction stage. Six main effects of delay were: (1) time overrun, (2) cost overrun, (3) disputes, (4) arbitration, (5) litigation, and (6) total abandonment. This study has also established an empirical relationship between each cause and effect.

The basic objective of this study is to analyse the direct and indirect impacts of standardization and customization on customer satisfaction and loyalty through service quality. The service quality has two dimensions: technical quality and functional quality. A framework is developed by extending Grӧnroos' model of service quality by including the antecedents of service quality. A questionnaire-based survey collected data from 315 customers of three service industries: healthcare, hospitality, and education. The data was analysed and the model validated using PLS-SEM. The findings show that: (1) integration of standardization and customization of service offerings is critical for improved service quality; (2) standardization has higher impact on service quality when compared to customization; (3) functional quality has higher impact on customer satisfaction when compared to technical quality; and (4) customer satisfaction has a significant effect on customer loyalty. The contribution of this study is the development of an integrated framework to analyse the roles of standardization and customization on service quality.

Healthcare providers must consider the relationships between these factors in their continuing care and incorporation of these in the nursing curricula and training.