Assessment of Readability Risks in Contracts Causing Conflicts in Construction Projects
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 147, Issue 6
Abstract
Readability and comprehensibility of contracts are important. A contract would be more practical and functional if the clauses can be interpreted more consistently. Therefore, an analysis of risks influencing readability of construction contracts other than the more common approach of analyzing operational risk is essential. This paper aims to assess risk factors affecting readability of contracts to avoid or minimize conflicts among project parties by adopting a fuzzy Visekriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) technique. Readability risks were analyzed based on conflicting potential interpretations of clauses on time, cost, and quality criteria. The results identified the top three risks as: (1) unnecessary complexity in using nouns and improper use of referents; (2) the use of abstract and ambiguous words or sentences leading to multiple interpretations; and (3) unnecessarily long sentence length. To establish consensus among experts, compare stakeholders’ perceptions, and ensure the robustness of the model, interrater agreement (IRA) analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, and sensitivity analysis were performed. The findings can help contract drafters recognize the importance of the role of readability of contracts. Improved readability can potentially lead to reduced conflicts, claims, and disputes in construction projects.
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Data Availability Statement
All data (i.e., questionnaire survey data) that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The work described in this paper was supported by the Coordinatorship of Scientific Research Projects of the Yildiz Technical University (Project ID: FBA-2020-3934).
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 147 • Issue 6 • June 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 18, 2020
Accepted: Dec 15, 2020
Published online: Mar 25, 2021
Published in print: Jun 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Aug 25, 2021
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