Osaghae, E and Olatunji, O A (2024) Key drivers of value amongst multicultural teams in construction projects. International Journal of Construction Management, 24(14), pp. 1581-1588. ISSN 1562-3599
Abstract
Major projects often involve intense team diversity—people are drawn from multiple cultures, professional disciplines and geographical areas. Past studies have established the roles of such diversity in project success. However, most outcomes from such studies are only superficial, as they hardly exceed comparing the pros and cons. Knowledge and practice gaps remain significant around how projects and businesses can maximise the benefits of cultural diversity amongst the project team. This research investigates key drivers of value relating to multiculturality amongst project teams involved in large projects. As a scoping study, the study reports interview results from an initial phase of a longitudinal study. Findings show thematic drivers of value in multiculturality include intentionality [project governance], strategic commitment (firm’s leadership determination), and stakeholders' purposive buy-in to work with soft challenges. Others include project organisational culture and leadership. The implication of these themes, when put together in a framework, is such that understanding how to manage multicultural teams in projects does help towards improving project outcomes. Conclusions are drawn on how these findings to further measure multiculturality and its values in project outcomes. The additionality of such a contribution to ongoing debate helps to quantise and quantify the strengths of diversity amongst project teams in construction projects of all forms and size, as well as management practices.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | cultural diversity; intentionality; organisational culture; project leadership; teams and value |
| Index terms: | management practice, construction project, organizational culture, interview, commitment, project team, project success, governance, project outcome, major project |
| Subjects: | sociology, management, project management theory and practice, production management, psychology, project delivery, strategic project management, project completion, business, data collection methods |
| Topics: | Organizational Design, Project Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Governance |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here