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PEER REVIEW
PEER REVIEW
The Malaysian Surveyor

Abstract

Professionals such as Quantity Surveyors play crucial roles in ethical practices,

particularly in the situation of ethical dilemmas and consequently affecting
construction quality based on their decision-making. What is most important for
a Quantity Surveyor in decision making is that they are perceived as consistent,
persevering and well-judged. Hence, the aim of the research is to enhance ethics of

the Quantity Surveyor towards ethical decision-making. To achieve this, the objectives
are; to understand the theory of ethics and ethical dilemmas in decision making; and
to investigate ethical decision making with regards to ethical issues in the construction
industry. A questionnaire survey was conducted with Quantity Surveyors who work

at the consultant’s firms in Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. The data from survey
was analysed using SPSS to determine the frequency, mean and standard deviation.
The reliability data and the significance difference between mean are tested by using
Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha (α). Results from data analysis identified the common

ethical issues in the construction industry. The survey concludes that lack of quality
of work, conflict of interest, cover pricing, improper Bills of Quantities practice, and
also favouritism, discrimination and harassment are found to be the most influencing
factors for ethical issues in the construction industry. This research is significant to

Quantity Surveyors to enhance ethics at workplace.

nethical practice is The consequences of these blacklisting and reputational risk
understood to be one unethical behaviours in the (Adnan et al, 2012).
of the most serious construction industry can lead to
problems affecting a reduction in confidence in the Making good ethical decisions
the construction profession, continuous insecure requires a trained sensitivity to
Uand construction practices that risk lives and property, ethical issues and a practiced
industry (Shah and Alotaibi, 2017). loss of income by customers method for exploring the ethical
Some of the most unethical issues and governments, unnecessary aspects of a decision and weighing
in the construction industry are and basic expenditure that raises the considerations that should
in the forms of unfair conduct, poverty levels and reduces quality impact the choice of a course of
negligence, conflict of interest, of life (Shah and Alotaibi, 2017). The action. The ethical decision-making
collusive tendering, fraud and bribery effects of unethical practices have process not only affects them
(Rahman et al, 2009). Unethical lasting impact to construction and personally, but can also have an
practices can take place at every engineering companies such as impact on employees, communities
phase of a construction project wasted tender expenses, tendering and the overall ethical climate of
during planning and design, pre- uncertainty, increased project costs, the organisation (Starrat, 2004)
qualification and tender, project economic damage, blackmail, and can even have an impact on
execution and operation and criminal prosecutions, fines, communities and societies (Hatcher
maintenance.

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