The transfer of construction management technology to developing countries - Libya as a case study

This thesis aims to highlight the issue of improving the productivity of the construction industry in developing countries at a macro-level, through the adoption of technology transfer, with the intention of identifying the basic organizational variables that determine and/or strongly affect the national construction productivity, and to formulate a practical approach for their improvement. Following an outline of the aims and methods of the study, firstly, the evolution of ideas on socio-economic development are considered to show the need of each country to a specific industrial development strategy, based on its own resources and peculiar conditions. This is followed by a discussion of the evidence related to the planning strategies for construction development, and their contribution to the growth of the national economies of both developed and developing countries. Generally, they suggest that the construction industry in developing countries had contributed less than its counterpart in developed countries, and therefore, it should be expanded and organized more efficiently. Organization of construction is next considered, with emphasis placed upon the nature of the industry and the contribution of the existing organizational strategies to its development. In reviewing the current construction management approaches of both developing and developed countries, the similarity between their diagnosis of the problems and prescriptions for their improvement are analysed and crystallised into a theoretical framework for further discussion. In order to test the model, a historical view of the Libya's industry is presented, comparing its early development within the suggested measures. The performance of each aspect of the model is evaluated within the criteria suggested by socio-economic and organization theories eg. the extent to which the established objectives are met. Generally, the evidence indicates that over two decades of their application, Libya has not achieved the planned targets. It is observed that, in addition to the influence of the local general environmental forces, there are certain other technical, structural, personnel technological and managerial factors underlying construction productivity improvement. The need for a practical strategy is emphasised. A programme for its implementation is formulated.