Assessing the Underlying Factors Affecting Trust and Transparency in the Construction Industry: A Mixed Method Approach

The construction industry's lack of trust and transparency presents significant challenges that can impede project success and hinder overall industry growth. Without trust, stakeholders may hesitate to collaborate effectively, leading to communication breakdowns, disputes, and del ays. Transparency gaps in project management and decision-making processes can breed suspicion and erode confidence among stakeholders, undermining their willingness to invest time, resources, and effort. Moreover, lacking trust and transparency can exacerbate corruption, inefficiency, and quality concerns, undermining industry credibility and public trust. This study delves into the context of the Nigerian construction industry to explore the impediments to trust and transparency and develop strategies for improvements. The study adopts a mixed- methods research to comprehensively examine the factors affecting trust and transparency using semi-structured interviews and structured questionnaires. These factors were categorised into four clusters: "Communication and Information Sharing", "Ethical and Integrity Issues", "Technological and Operational Challenges", and "Project-specific and Security Concerns" and validated by experts before administration of the surveys. The interview data was thematically analysed, while the questionnaire was analysed using partial least square structural equation modelling. The findings underscore the detrimental effects of inadequate communication protocols, ethical lapses, technological advancement resistance, and project data security vulnerabilities. Consequently, the study proposes comprehensive strategies, including establishing clear communication protocols, reinforcing ethical frameworks, embracing technological innovations, and implementing robust security measures. These strategies aim to enhance information sharing, foster ethical compliance, improve operational efficiency, and safeguard critical project data, fostering a culture of trust and transparency within the Nigerian construction industry.