Technical Audit and Unethical Practices in the Construction Industry

Abstract

This study presents the dark side of "unethical practices" in construction projects in Egypt, which impact the construction industry's development. It also identifies the project parties' unethical practices in funded projects and the Technical Audit's role in fighting them. A mixed methodology was used for collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data. The study results indicated the owner's and bidder's unethical practices were Disclaim liability for nominated subcontractor mistakes and submitting an unbalanced bid, respectively. Also, the procedure militating against the practices was adopting and applying the technical audit concept to governmental projects. Separate analyses revealed differing viewpoints among consultants, owners, and contractors. The study contributes to the creation of honest competition to develop the construction industry, reducing public money losses, and evaluating competitors on a stable and sound basis. Also, building awareness and sensitizing our community to the construction project's dark side is necessary for getting a legally sustainable solution in future tender law formulation.