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Asgari, S, Afshar, A and Madani, K (2014) Cooperative Game Theoretic Framework for Joint Resource Management in Construction. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(03).
Baccarini, D and Love, P E D (2014) Statistical Characteristics of Cost Contingency in Water Infrastructure Projects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(03).
Blomberg, D, Cotellesso, P, Sitzabee, W and Thal, A E (2014) Discovery of Internal and External Factors Causing Military Construction Cost Premiums. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(03).
Bowen, P, Edwards, P, Lingard, H and Cattell, K (2014) Predictive Modeling of Workplace Stress among Construction Professionals. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(03).
Bowen, P, Edwards, P, Lingard, H and Cattell, K (2014) Workplace Stress, Stress Effects, and Coping Mechanisms in the Construction Industry. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(03).
Chai, C, de Brito, J, Gaspar, P L and Silva, A (2014) Predicting the Service Life of Exterior Wall Painting: Techno-Economic Analysis of Alternative Maintenance Strategies. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(03).
Chiang, Y H, Zhou, L, Li, J, Lam, P T I and Wong, K W (2014) Achieving Sustainable Building Maintenance through Optimizing Life-Cycle Carbon, Cost, and Labor: Case in Hong Kong. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(03).
Cirilovic, J, Vajdic, N, Mladenovic, G and Queiroz, C (2014) Developing Cost Estimation Models for Road Rehabilitation and Reconstruction: Case Study of Projects in Europe and Central Asia. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(03).
Fan, S (2014) Intellectual Property Rights in Building Information Modeling Application in Taiwan. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(03).
Gao, T, Ergan, S, Akinci, B and Garrett, J H (2014) Proactive Productivity Management at Job Sites: Understanding Characteristics of Assumptions Made for Construction Processes during Planning Based on Case Studies and Interviews. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(03).
Jafarzadeh, R, Wilkinson, S, González, V, Ingham, J M and Amiri, G G (2014) Predicting Seismic Retrofit Construction Cost for Buildings with Framed Structures Using Multilinear Regression Analysis. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(03).
Karan, E P, Sivakumar, R, Irizarry, J and Guhathakurta, S (2014) Digital Modeling of Construction Site Terrain Using Remotely Sensed Data and Geographic Information Systems Analyses. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(03).
Leung, M, Yu, J and Chan, Y S (2014) Focus Group Study to Explore Critical Factors of Public Engagement Process for Mega Development Projects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(03).
Malone, E K and Issa, R R (2014) Predictive Models for Work-Life Balance and Organizational Commitment of Women in the U.S. Construction Industry. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(03).
Oviedo-Haito, R J, Jiménez, J, Cardoso, F F and Pellicer, E (2014) Survival Factors for Subcontractors in Economic Downturns. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(03).
- Type: Journal Article
- Keywords: Construction; Economic crisis; Spain; Survival factors; Subcontracting; Labor and personnel issues;
- ISBN/ISSN: 0733-9364
- URL: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000811
- Abstract:
This paper analyzes key issues facing subcontractors in the context of a severe economic crisis, aiming to detect the factors that are critical for the survival of the subcontractors. Although previous research efforts have analyzed factors related to subcontractor performance in regular financial conditions, there remains only sparse knowledge of how subcontractors are to survive when economic conditions become dire, as they have in recent times in the Spanish construction market. In this research, in-depth interviews with managers of relevant Spanish subcontracting companies were carried out, resulting in the identification of eight factors for subcontractor survival: project delivery method, demand, financial capital, relationship assets, managerial assets, human assets, legal framework, and geographic scope. The project delivery method used by the owner and also by the main contractor is mainly based on price. As a result, the subcontractors’ bids get lower, making them unsustainable in the long run. Furthermore, subcontractors do not get financial support from banks easily to cover their additional financial costs. These facts push subcontractors to get a guarantee of payment by the main contractor, and subcontracting companies may even ask for payments in advance. Subcontractors also seek long-term relationships with the contractor. These trusting relations are very often a prerequisite to qualify and bid for contracts. Subcontractors have to continuously improve, plan ahead, and adapt quickly to the new environment. Therefore, subcontractors must remain flexible and maintain a lean hierarchical organization. Doing so makes it is easier for subcontractors to compete in both their native markets as well as abroad. To this end, the most successful subcontractors have become international during the expansion phase of the economic cycle; many of them went abroad with the help of a contractor from their home country.