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PurposeWhile a considerable amount of research has been conducted on construction disputes, disputes remain prevalent in the construction industry and have still been a crucial problem in the Turkish construction industry as well. The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of different stakeholders on key factors that contribute to construction disputes by adopting a qualitative approach.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative approach adopted for the study provided gathering in-depth and rich information about the topic. To explore the phenomenon in-depth information, semi-structured interviews were conducted. A total of 38 interviews were conducted among experts and practitioners who engaged in construction disputes.FindingsContent analysis of interview data resulted in the emergence of varying categories relevant to the problems which result in construction disputes. By grouping related themes into main categories, the analysis yielded five major ones: clarity of the contract form, errors in contract documents, payments, changes, delays and not granting extension of time.Research limitations/implicationsThe major limitations are having interviewees from one country and results limited to the Turkish construction industry.Practical implicationsThe findings provide insight on the factors contributing to construction disputes as perceived by different stakeholders, which should provide guidance to determine the associated risks for dispute occurrence, make effort to mitigate disputes once they happen, take proper precautions for minimizing the effects and after all make a significant contribution in the successful accomplishment of completed construction projects.Originality/valueThe findings of the study contribute to a deeper understanding of the factors contributing to construction disputes through a qualitative approach which is limited in the related literature. Although the qualitative exploration only focuses on the Turkish construction industry, the study has added significantly to the body of knowledge within the subject area.

Disputes are inevitable in construction projects. They pose serious risks for the project participants and if not managed properly, disputes prevent the completion of construction projects within the desired cost, time and quality. Therefore, it is vital to determine the factors that contribute to construction disputes. The main purpose of this study is to identify the primary causes of disputes in the Turkish construction industry. In this context, the public construction disputes among the parties during the execution of the contract are examined. The findings show that the problem areas giving rise to disputes are mainly related to seven dispute categories as unit prices, delays and extension of time, contractual matters, variations, contract documents, payments, and other disputes. These dispute categories are analyzed comprehensively, and finally, main causes of disputes in each dispute category are identified and discussed in detail.