The Claims Culture; A Taxonomy of Attitudes in the Industry

This paper presents an analysis of a familiar aspect of construction industry culture which we have dubbed ‘the claims culture’. This is a culture of contract administration that lays a strong emphasis on the planning and management of claims. The principal elements of the analysis are two sets of distinctions. The first of these comprises economic and occupational orders, referring to two kinds of control that are exercised over the construction process; predicated respectively on economic ownership and occupational competence. The second, refers to contrasting attitudes towards relationships and problem solving within these orders: respectively ‘distributive’ and ‘integrative’. The concepts of economic and occupational order entail further sub-categories. The various attitudes associated with these categories and sub-categories are described. They are assessed as to their consequences for change initiatives in the industry.