Project Managers in Qatar: The Key Challenges

Research Background

A project is one-time, brief endeavour of various durations depending on the expected deliverables. It is carried out to meet a precise demand in an organization such as the advent of a product or service of a commercial enterprise technique (Taraba, 2019). This is a stark contrast with how an employer usually produces items or offerings on a non-stop basis (Ma et al., 2018, p. 50). For example, an organization’s project may be to construct cars on an ordinary basis. As a result, the work is deemed purposeful because the agency produces the identical merchandise or offerings over and over again, and people have semi-permanent jobs (Mitrofanova et al., 2020, pp. 317-326). A project is typically commenced in response to a perceived requirement inside an organization. Because it is a one-time venture, it will have an opening and an end date budget, time, and useful resource limits, and a devoted group (Balasubramanian, 2020, pp. 165-184). End users, representatives from the Information Technology (IT), an undertaking leader, commercial enterprise analysts, trainers, the venture sponsor, and different stakeholders are all sections of venture teams.

Project management is the discipline of coordinating all of the project’s sources and factors so that the sources supply all of the outputs required. It also ensures the entire the task is inside the hooked up scope, time, and financial restrictions. These are determined at the project planning stage which stipulates requirements and deliverables. Project administration is the self-discipline of coordinating all of the project’s sources and aspects in order for the assets to supply all of the outputs required to whole the task inside the scope, timing, and financial restrictions. By the time the venture starts, all stakeholders and group individuals will have a clear perception and acceptance of the process, methodology, and supposed effects. Using a venture administration methodology, a proper task supervisor creates a formal technique that can be audited and utilized as a blueprint for the project.

Project Management Crisis

A crisis can be seen as a high-risk task that ought to be managed in order to obtain the supposed outcomes. In a crisis, the preferred result is to reduce harm. Effective task administration concepts can and must be used in disaster management (Alves, Ferreira, and de Nadae, J, 2021, pp. 1-17). There are distinctive kinds and reasons for disaster which include nature, technology, organizational misleads, work location violence, bankruptcy, emergencies, and smoldering disaster (Koch and Schermuly, 2021, pp. 1265-1283.). Irrespective of the supply or kind of crisis, mission managers need to continually stand up to the task and formulate options that make certain the challenge is delivered on time.

The motivation for The Research

There are several needs behind effective project management in Qatar and around the world. Due to the immense number of challenges facing managers, their roles and goals help deliver competent and satisfactory results on time, within budget, and in the desired qualities. However, the nature and size of projects carried out in Qatar, especially in the construction sector are exceptional, attracting multiple risks and challenges. The experiences and drawbacks experienced by the management personnel are essential for planning and implementing future projects. Currently, Qatar is preparing to host the FIFA World Cup 2022 and has witnessed the construction of modern-class stadiums. Such giant projects are scheduled to be completed at least a year before the scheduled events (AlRashid and Al-Hamad, 2022, p. 2). The projects need massive equipment and manpower working in extreme weather conditions. Qatar has been constantly associated with human rights abuses, which puts the spotlight on the treatment of immigrant workers in such projects. The paper explores the overall challenges cutting across multiple domains and facing project managers in a climatically hostile country.

Project Management Needs

Without skilled project management personnel, it would be impossible to carry out large projects effectively. For instance, the construction of a skyscraper, a railway line stretching thousands of kilometers or a stadium with a capacity of tens of thousands could not be achievable. The need to control project scope and respond to change while delivering results on time and within budget are the main reasons for project management (Gordon and Pollack, 2018, pp. 5-21). Others include human resource management, establishing the optimal approach toward project delivery, and estimating the project resources and deliverables (Ng, 2018, pp. 49-54). It is also concerned with communicating progress, changes, and risks associated with given projects (Turner and Ledwith, 2018, pp. 475-493). Managers are tasked with establishing unexpected issues such as human resource crises. Lastly, project management documents the lessons learned from the implementation of one project and applies them in later or ongoing projects.

The Impetus behind the Research

In the recent past, engineering and developer communities have embarked on mega-construction projects such as airports, ports, skyscrapers, and stadiums. Such projects are resource-intensive with complicated construction and management requirements responsibilities (Momade and Hainin, 2019, pp. 3945-3948.). Although the teams involved are highly skilled and experienced, the projects are subjected to natural and artificial risks and challenges that could result in total destruction. The conceptualization, planning, and implementation of a project are directly influenced by a country’s gross domestic product as it influenced the possible consumption power. Qatar is an oil-rich nation, with plenty of cash to invest in mega projects (Mohammed, Hasnain, and Quadir, 2019, pp. 1–9). However, it should not be assumed as an ultimate solution to the challenges facing project managers. The harsh climate, unstable sandy foundations, water shortage, and desert storms are some of the fiercest natural risks facing any construction in Qatar, and that project managers must overcome (Mashali et al., 2022, pp. 823-834). The study will be focused on establishing the challenges facing project managers and their preferred solutions in Qatar.

Research Questions and Objective

Research Questions

• What are the general responsibilities of project managers?
• What are the natural and artificial risks and challenges facing project management?
• What if the impact of the risks and challenges on the performance of project managers in delivering quality solutions?
• What is the impact of the challenges on the relationship between project managers and other shareholders?
• What is the reaction of project managers to challenges faced during different project phases?

Project Aim and Objectives

Main Project Aim

The main overarching research question is concerned with the challenges facing project managers, specifically in Qatar.

Project Objectives

• To explore the general responsibilities of project managers in the line of duty.
• To establish the natural and artificial risks and challenges facing project management.
• To investigate the impact of the risks and challenges on the performance of project managers in delivering quality solutions.
• To explore the impact of the challenges on the relationship between project managers and other shareholders.
• To investigate the reaction of project managers to challenges faced during different project phases.

Justification

The project’s success is dependent on the project manager’s (PM) skills. While numerous studies have focused on PM competency, few have studied it in the light of the challenges they face. Thus, this study aims to examine the challenges that PMs in Qatar face, as well as the important abilities and knowledge areas that are required to respond to such challenges. This study will develop a learning basis for new PMs, allowing them to be more competent and successfully implement long-term projects.

Research Approach and Methodology

The plans and methods for a research study are recognized as research approaches. that cowl the entirety from fundamental assumptions to particular facts collecting, processing, and interpretation methodologies (Sileyew, 2019, pp. 1-12). There are three main research approaches namely quantitative, qualitative, and a combination of both (Sileyew, 2019, pp. 1-12). Quantitative research presents the statistical analysis of data such as measures of central tendency, p-value, data patterns, and results from generalization (Basias and Pollalis, 2018, pp. 91-105). The qualitative approach is concerned with understanding social phenomena in a natural setup by answering the question “why” (Voss, 2021, pp. 1-17). A mixed research approach employs both qualitative and quantitative approaches and produces detailed results from a broader perspective. The research will adopt a quantitative approach. The procedures or strategies used to find, select, process, and analyze information about a topic are referred to as research methodology (Basias and Pollalis, 2018, pp. 91-105). The methodology portion of a research article allows the reader to critically examine the study’s overall validity and dependability.

Data Collections and Analysis Tools

The instruments employed to gather data, such as a paper questionnaire or a computer-assisted interviewing system, are known as data collecting tools. Case studies, checklists, interviews, sometimes observation, and surveys or questionnaires are all methods for gathering information (Jain, 2021, pp. 541-554). The tools enable the researcher to gather the data needed for the study and hence, make subsequent analyses and presentations. IN this research interviews, observations and questionnaires will be the primary data collection tools. The collected data will be fed to SPSS for analysis and presentations. The data collection will be carried out onsite and offsite depending on the availability and schedules of the project managers,

Population and Sample Size

Population refers to all of the people who take part in a research project. If the participants were chosen at random, the study’s findings may be considered representative of a larger group. In our case, the research specifically focuses on project managers. The number of individuals or observations included in a study is referred to as sample size. The letter n is commonly used to indicate this number. Two statistical features are influenced by sample size: the accuracy of our calculations and the study’s ability to make conclusions (Majid, 2018, pp. 1-7). The research will include 100 participants selected randomly from the engineering and construction sectors.

Ethical Considerations and Approach

The set of ideas that guide your study designs and procedures are known as ethical concerns in research. Voluntary involvement, informed permission, anonymity, secrecy, the risk of damage, and results in communication are among these principles (Suri, 2020, pp. 41-54). The considerable influence on the validity of the study results, the reputation of the researcher as well as the study domain. The ethical considerations will be based on a Utilitarianism approach. The choice is based upon the differences, complexities, and dimensions of the engineering and construction projects undertaken by the managers. the following research ethics will be adhered to.

• Respect for the autonomy of other people.
• All participants shall be voluntary and free from undue influence, coercion, and abuse of rights and shall remain anonymous.
• Beneficence and non-maleficence

The research shall not pose risk to any participant. All possible safety measures shall be taken to protect the researcher and the participants:

• Justice: All participants shall be treated equally irrespective of the position status among the study population.
• Informed consent: Participants shall not be engaged without their consent. It will help create a rapport with the participants, allowing them to participate voluntarily. They shall also not be tricked into providing any sensitive information unknowingly.
• Confidentiality and data protection: The data collected by the research shall only be used for academic purposes and shall not be shared with third parties. However, the study results may be published in online journals and repositories.
• Integrity: The research shall be designed, evaluated, and implemented with the highest standards of integrity possible.
• Conflict of interest: The research shall not be carried out to fulfill any personal desires or intentions other than the academic purpose discussed in the objectives section.

Reference List

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Balasubramanian, S. (2020) ‘Stakeholders’ role in delivering sustainable supply chains in the construction sector,’ International Journal of Society Systems Science, 12(2), pp. 165-184.

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