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Introduction
Poor performance of construction projects remain a major problem in both developing and developed countries (Flyvbjerg et al., 2003). Almost every publication in the field of construction management reiterates this concern. Although Toor and Ogunlana (2010) have suggested the need to use other metrics (such as safety, stakeholder satisfaction, etc.) to evaluate performance of construction projects; cost, time and quality largely remains the most popular performance indicators. Despite the existence of several studies addressing poor performance of construction projects (AlSehaimi et al., 2013; Ramanathan et al., 2012), it is evident that this remains a re-occurring problem. Empirical evidence from a previous study suggests that ineffective communication among stakeholders is a significant factor responsible for poor performance of construction projects (Atkinson, 2002; Ng et al., 2004). In a similar vein, Meng (2012) found that improved communication amongst stakeholders is vital to meeting project performance objectives. Hence, an understanding of communication practice within the construction industry is an important element in the process of improving performance of construction projects. The present research effort focusses on gaining insights into the factors responsible for ineffective communication in the Nigerian construction industry.
In recent years, researchers in the field of construction management have shown an increased interest in communication-related studies. Trade liberalization and the need to exploit markets in foreign countries have created new communication problems in the construction industry which arise due to multi-cultural work environment (Loosemore and Lee, 2002; Ochieng and Price, 2010). Other studies have investigated the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the construction industry (Duyshart et al., 2003; Ng et al., 2001; Peansupap and Walker, 2005), communication between design team and construction manager (Shohet and Frydman, 2003) and communication practice in construction projects (Gorse and Emmitt, 2003; Tai et al., 2009). There is limited evidence of studies addressing communication problems in the construction industry in Africa (Ejohwomu and Oshodi, 2014; Laryea and Leiringer, 2012); except for Kwofie et al. (2015) which addresses ineffective communication in mass housing projects in Ghana. Also, lack of studies focussed on communication in project management literature has been linked to project failures (Dainty et al., 2006; Shehu and Akintoye, 2010). Using the lens of attribution theory, the present study...