A Study on the Impact of Cultural Dimensions towards the Cultural Competency of Transnational Project Environment in the Maldives

Abstract

The Maldives is a country highly dependent on international clients towards development of the nation, through major infrastructural and institutional projects. Majority of the projects handled in the Maldives are international donor-funded projects or international projects by private organisations.

This research focuses on the cross-cultural impact on the transnational projects established in the Maldives, in regards to Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension Theory. This research studies the opinions and insight of experts such as shareholders and project managers, on the cross-cultural impact using qualitative data. It becomes evident that these projects are competent towards the transnational project environment. However, it is also established that there are dimensions of culture that projects must utilize to improve the project environment.

A total of four major themes and fifteen sub themes were discovered in this study. It can be determined that the overall project environment has a very positive contribution towards the cultural competencies. The project culture of Maldives encourages long term orientation, High Uncertainty Avoidance as well as Collectivism. On the other hand, Maldives require cultural balance towards low power distribution, influence of politics and gender role distribution in the project environment.