Delays have commonly been a serious problem. This study aims to evaluate, criticize,
and synthesize the literature on the causes of delays in construction. A total of
70 journal articles from 33 countries focussing on identifying the causes of delays
were critically analysed. The main findings of this study are that the questionnaire
survey is the most commonly used data collection method, the project phases at which
the causes of delays are identified is not clearly stated in the majority of the reviewed
articles, there is no agreement on the classification of causes of delays, the number
of causes of delays studied by researchers greatly varies, the term 'delay' is not
clearly defined in the majority of the articles, there is no standardized terminology
for the causes of delays, key variables such as type of project, project delivery
system and contract type are mostly ignored, and the location of the project is an
important variable to consider when identifying the causes of delays. The findings
of this study provide researchers, practitioners, and construction professionals with
a detailed reference, which can assist them in better understanding the causes of
delays, taking the necessary proactive actions, and improving the overall project
performance.
