The construction industry faces challenges, such as schedule overruns, cost overruns, poor quality, and safety issues. Lean construction is a valuable concept for waste reduction and improving project performance. This study explored the impact of lean construction principles on contractors' project performance in Ethiopia. Using a quantitative method and simple random sampling technique, 159 respondents from construction companies were selected. This study introduced partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in the study area. The results showed that process/technology lean principles, people/culture lean principles, and integrated project delivery variables had a direct positive impact on contractor performance. There was also a significant indirect relationship between process/technology-lean construction principles and project performance with a complementary partial mediation effect. However, no significant indirect associations were found between people/culture-lean construction principles and project performance through mediation of onsite construction waste management. The study used FIMIX-PLS to test robustness and detect hidden heterogeneity at non-critical levels. The findings provide researchers and practitioners to identify the influences that are critical for contractors’ projects performance improvement, and that results in the best possible outcome.

Delay is one of the most common causes of construction projects failure in Iran. The larger sizes of the projects, the more risks and costs of delays. In this paper, the causes of delays in EPC contracts of nonindustrial buildings were excavated from the related previous research and several interviews with experts of this subject, and adjusted by the brainstorming technique, Delphi and reconciling the nature of these projects. Then, a questionnaire was distributed among 52 experts working in the South Pars project, and the data were analyzed by descriptive and factor analysis methods. Descriptive analysis revealed that “Inflation and escalation of material prices and human resources salaries”, “Unrealistic contract duration and requirements imposed” and “Political situation” were the most significant delay factors. Meanwhile, factor analysis indicates that “Improper construction methods”, “Shortage of experienced and skilled labor” and “Long acceptance process (shop drawings, permits, tests and samples)” were the most important causes of delay.

Government construction projects are vital to the economic development of developing countries. However, although most of these projects suffer from abandonment, little evidence exists concerning the causes that account for this setback. This paper investigates the causes of government construction project abandonment in Ghana. We used a sequential data collection approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews, and questionnaire surveys to solicit the views of project management practitioners, contractors, and clients associated with Ghana government construction project implementation. Using factor analysis and structural equation modelling, we find that Ghanaian government construction project abandonment is influenced by five sets of causes: political leadership, culture, external forces, resources (including funding) and administrative/institutional bottlenecks. Three of these sets of causes – political leadership, cultural and external forces, are the primary causes, while resources (including funding) and administrative/institutional causes are secondary causes.