Assessment of the Role of Owner’s Representative on Construction Performance: An Owner’s Perspective

The modern construction industry is complex and heterogeneous. The three major players in this industry are owners, constructors, and architects/engineers. However, there is a fourth party that can also be involved in construction projects: the owner’s representative (OR). ORs are individuals or firms hired by an owner to manage the construction project in the owner’s stead. They have a relationship contractor, architect/engineer, and the owner and provide a range of services depending on the needs of the owner. Given the important role ORs can play in this industry, there is a dearth of literature today concerning them, and extant literature is significantly biased with shortcomings including authors’ perspectives and overall lack of industry-driven data. The objectives of this research are to gain an understanding of when an owner is likely to hire an OR and what impact ORs have on project performance. This study placed a priority on remaining unbiased, and was conducted from the owner’s perspective using data from projects with and without ORs.