Project management practice within the Lebanese real estate industry

Abstract

Many investors have recently discovered the emerging Lebanese real estate market as an opportunity for a very lucrative business. However, historically the Lebanese market has been characterised by precariousness due to political instability, environmental risks, funding difficulties, demographics and cultural issues. We investigate project management practices within the Lebanese real estate sector through an inductive study. A multidimensional stakeholder approach is employed. The findings from seven data rich, semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders highlight project financing, time management and human resources management central to successful project management practice in Lebanon. While the respondents make frequent references to the unique context in Lebanon our analysis reveals more similarities than differences with the universalist best practice literature on project management. We evaluate the relevance of contextual and best practice approaches to project management and consider some of the reasons why the respondents at strategic level tend to take a more contextual approach where the views at meso and micro levels are more mixed. Later stages of this study will utilise the research findings in the development of a success measurement framework that accounts for diverse success criteria in the Lebanese market through a larger scale mixed-method programme of research