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Abstract

Conflicts occur on construction projects and may degenerate into unpleasant situations such as claims, lawsuits and project abandonment. This research investigated the frequency and correlates of conflicts in identified conflict centers on projects procured with either the traditional method or integrated methods. Conflicts were measured in terms of their frequencies of occurrence. Five internal conflict centers on construction projects were identified and used. Questionnaires were administered through purposive and snowballing techniques on 274 projects located in twelve states and Abuja in Nigeria. 96 usable responses were obtained. The collected data were subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. The most critical area of conflict was around resources for project execution on projects executed with the integrated procurement method, while the most critical area of conflicts on projects executed with the traditional method was conflict arising from administrative procedures. There were significant correlations between overall satisfaction with project procurement and the frequency of conflicts. However, the results of the analyses do not suggest that any significant correlations exist between the method used for the procurement of the projects and the frequency of conflicts on the projects. The study recommends that the central place of the person, the psychological make-up and personality of team members, instead of structure, may be variables to watch out for with respect to frequency of conflicts, handling of conflicts and overall satisfaction with project procurement. It is recommended that similar analyses can be done on the basis of intensity or seriousness of conflicts.