Corruptionin the Middle East Management Implications at a Qatar Construction Project

Abstract

This is a research paper focused on assessing the level of corruption and its impacts on a construction project relating to a metro project in Qatar. In order to consider more implicitly the questions and issues raised, this empirical groundwork utilised an interpretive perspective. The scope for this research was the on-site contractor team. The population for this study was made up of a number of individuals (32) lower-managers and engineers located at one main-site, and a total of 14lower managers/engineers were determined as the resultant sample frame. The outcomes consisted of six (6) main themes, namely: Country Issues; Company Policies; Management Control; Cost Issues; Documentary Issues; and Financial Demands, raised from an initial research question. The paper gives a clear insight into the practical issues surrounding a metro project assessment. The paper also addresses some of the implications for continuing project construction site developments. The paper suggests that projects of this kind may benefit from a greater use of targeted processes to alleviate corruption possibilities in the construction phase of a project. Very little research has been conducted in this area and the paper exposes weak aspects of the project management capability in Qatar relating to corruption practices unexplored in today’s metro project construction environments.