Analysing Organizational Development Tenets for Improving Performance of Local Contracting Firms in Tanzania: A Conceptual Model

Abstract

Construction industry in Tanzania is affected with poor project performance. The poor project performance of the industry is attributed to by three key players, clients, consultants and contractors who are been characterised by: inadequate planning, a<i>d hoc</i> process, weak adoption of IT in their processes, inadequate procurement and project delivery processes, weak capital and cash flow management skills, lack of innovation and entrepreneurship skills, lack of formal organizational structures and lack of work commitment culture. While these key project players record inadequate performance, facets of ‘organizational development’ are found to exist in literature for decades; but are not yet well evaluated with a view of marrying the local firms’ performance characteristics. This paper reviews and evaluates relevant literatures on the local contracting firms’ performance and on the organizational development models in general. Such reviewed works helped to formulate organizational development conceptual model for improving local firms’ performance. The model has eight dimensions: change initiatives, strategies of improvement, organizational wide elements, organizational-wide elements weaknesses, organizational wide efficiencies and effectiveness, interdisciplined deployment, emerged field issues and real change results. The model contributes in the body of knowledge through providing a comprehensive and yet rigorous list of organizational development elements with the procedural approach to help local firms to assess and improve own performance. Such a model benefits own local firms as well as others in the developing countries. The model opens avenues for further researches by creating a room to conduct model validation.