Cross cultural construction project management in the GCC countries: A local perspective on Western project parties

Construction project management in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries usually involves project parties with different cultural backgrounds. It has been shown in previous studies that cultural differences in construction project management can lead to a combination of challenges. The purpose of this study is to identify how Western project parties involved in construction projects in the GCC countries are perceived by Arab construction project managers (i.e. host perspective) and to identify specific areas of perceived influence. Using questionnaire based in-depth interviews with 96 Arab construction project managers, qualitative and quantitative data regarding anticipated influence aspects was collected. The analysis included ranking of the cumulative frequency of influence aspects, proving a good internal consistency of the scale, and a qualitative causal analysis. The results indicate a perceived positive influence exerted by Western project parties on the three aspects: project planning, using appropriate technology, and team spirit of the project team. At the other end of the spectrum, respondents seem to perceive a negative influence by Western project parties on traditional local values and status differences within the project team. Increased awareness of the host perspective may lead to improved cross cultural communication between project parties from the GCC countries and project parties from Western cultures. The findings seem to reflect an overall positive perception of Western influence on construction project management in the GCC countries.