The study examines previous literature on the impacts of poor risk management in construction industry, with specific aim of identifying the causes of poor implementation of risk management in construction projects. This is because the concept of risk management has attracted much attention in recent years and that researchers and research bodies, be it corporate or government that try to formulate remedies to poor risk management should begin with an understanding of the causes and impact of poor risk management. The totality of risk management in construction industries include the identification, measurement and prevention of all likelihoods of negative outcomes. The study is conducted with reference to existing theoretical literature, published and unpublished research. The study is mainly a literature review/survey on the cause and effects of poor risk management. One of the primary findings emanating from the study reveals that empirical studies have identified several important factors which causes poor risk management; such as project delays, project failure, reputational damages, and loss of profit, material scarcity, and inadequate project accountability amongst others. The study explores the causes and effects of poor risk management in construction projects and presents a robust background on the theories of poor risk management. This study will enable contractors, stakeholders and construction risk managers to achieve better result and quality projects.

The South African construction industry has battled with productivity for years despite being the key contributors to the economy of the country. This paper aims to remedy this problem by introducing the learning curve tool into the South African construction industry. The study sought to deduce the level of awareness of the learning curve and determine the benefits of adopting the learning curve tool in the South African construction industry. The Quantitative Methodology was adopted for this study and participation from construction professionals was obtained through a well-structured questionnaire. A total of 106 questionnaires were sent out and 62 were received back representing a response rate of 58.5%. The findings revealed that there is a moderate awareness of the learning curve tool in the South African construction industry. Additionally, the findings revealed that the workers would become familiar with their job and sharpen their skills which would result in a higher quality of construction work and the reduction of time taken to complete a task with reduced cost. The adoption of the learning curve tool in the South African construction industry offers a solution to a lasting problem of productivity in the industry. This study will enlighten construction professionals on the concept of the learning curve and the benefits of the learning curve.