Cultural Patterns Influencing Project Team Behavior in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case Study in Ethiopia

Abstract

Despite the increasing attention paid to the human element of project success found in the project management literature, empirical studies exploring cultural patterns influencing this particular human element continue to be far from satisfactory. To help further understand the influence of cultural patterns within Sub-Saharan Africa project environments, we draw on a case study conducted in Ethiopia's service sector. Apart from the well-perceived cultural values commonly referred to in the existing literature, we specifically investigated the deep-rooted underlying causes, which include Ethiopian cultural habits, as a principal factor in influencing project team behavior. The article concludes with implications and recommendations for future research.