Examining the Cash Flow Management Practices in the Construction Industry: A case of Pakistani Firms.

Abstract

Cash flow management is very vital for the survival of any kind of firm but for a construction firm, its importance increases as a lot of firms are being bankrupted due to poor cash flow management. Construction firms are failing to deliver successful projects as they become shorthanded on cash due to irregular progress payments of projects from clients. The application of best cash flow management techniques are becoming more and more desirable for the project to be profitable and successful. So, the core objective of the study is to find the best ‘cash flow management practices’ applicable in the construction firms of Pakistan and effects of these practices on the project success. Data will be through a structured questionnaire focused towards the financial and project managers of 20 construction firms located in Punjab Province. Empirical data is tested by using SPSS technique and results are deduced. All the hypotheses of the study are validated. The results showed that cash flow management practices i.e. self-financing practices and debt-financing practices have a positive impact on success of a construction project. Performing cash flow forecasting increases the chances of getting successful project. Hence, Project Manager (PM) has to select best possible combination of cash flow management practices for keeping the balance between cash outflow and cash inflow, as he has highest authority while working on a project.