The Real Cost of Conflict on a project:

Interpersonal conflict is identified as one of the top occupational stressors, strongly linked to a reduction in psychological and physical health. In addition, it has been identified as a determinant of work disability, occupational incidents, and other costs related to reduced quality, restructuring, decreased productivity, absenteeism, and employee turnover. Studies suggest that owners and contractors ranked conflict among project participants as the highest factor affecting project cost. No research studies previously existed which expose the financial cost of conflict in this industry. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the nature of interpersonal conflict on construction projects and its financial burden. Seventy-four construction industry personnel were interviewed using a protocol designed to elicit recalled conflict incidents. Forty-one of the 86 reported incidents underwent analysis using the reported time and associated labor costs. It is recommended that educational opportunities and innovative changes to the construction process could reduce the incidence of interpersonal conflict on the jobsite.

Research Says Average Jobsite Argument Costs $11K.

The detailed report has actual samples from interviews conducted for the research. Many of them have a familiar ring and tone when compared to the average jobsite workday.  For example, one of the interviewees discussed a difference of opinion about how some holes were going to be created in a piece of steel. The interviewee didn't know how to operate a machine to punch the holes, so someone suggested burning them out with torches.  “Well, they torched them, and you torch a hole and you know what that looks like. ... And then, when they went to put it together, that made it sloppy and this person just blew up.

Well, this happened two or three times. And this is someone that's new.”

In some incidents, the conflict arose over perceptions of the quality of the work and the time involved.  One example involved painting. “He's driving the painter nuts by constantly being in here,” the interviewee stated. “Asking questions [as if] we don't know our job. We don't need him in here, telling us how to do our job.”
Anyone of these real world examples could have taken place on your projects. 

Read the complete Center for Construction Research and Training Report here…