Analysis of strategies used by consumer groups in the construction sector

Author

Adrien Vallat, Cécile Pilarski

Organization

Association des consommateurs pour la qualité dans la construction

Published

2014

Summary

This study seeks to better understand the strategies of consumer groups mobilized following a construction problem. It also seeks to distinguish between the factors that have a positive and a negative impact on the mobilizations success.

The main questions that this report attempts to answer are the following: Do the organization methods chosen by homeowner movements influence the success of their mobilizations? How do the participants in those mobilizations design and implement their communication strategy? To what extent do contextual factors, independent of the collective action launched by homeowner groups; have an impact on the mobilizations outcome?

To that end, Association des consommateurs pour la qualité dans la construction (ACQC) compared three case studies: the mobilizations of leaky condo owners in British Columbia in the late 1990s, of homeowners affected by pyrite in the Montérégie and Montreal regions of Quebec in the late 1990s, and of homeowners affected by pyrrhotite in the Mauricie region of Quebec since 2009.

The ACQC issues the following recommendations to the various levels of government: Recognize the role of consumer groups already established and support their action so that they may provide material, technical, human and organizational support to consumers wanting to work together in defence of their cause. Establish mechanisms for improving construction quality and preventing major defects. Those mechanisms include mandatory inspections during construction, as well as more rigour in drafting and applying standards and codes.

The ACQC also recommends that individuals and groups affected by a construction problem contact a consumer protection and defence organization in that field in order to increase their chances of successful action.

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OCA Funded Research
This research received funding support through the Office of Consumer Affairs' Contributions Program.

Contact information

Source: Consumer Policy Research Database