Assessment of Resource Management Practices and Improvement Mechanisms in Syrian Construction Companies

Abstract

Resource management is recognized as one of the critical determinants of construction project success, given its direct influence on productivity, cost control, and schedule adherence. Despite the continuous advancement of global resource management practices, construction firms operating in crisis-affected environments continue to face significant challenges that impede the adoption of modern practices. In the Syrian context, these challenges have been further compounded by economic and technological constraints whose magnitude and impact on local resource utilization efficiency remain insufficiently quantified. Nevertheless, the literature pertaining to the Syrian context remains notably scarce; existing studies lack systematic measurement of resource management practices in local construction firms, and no applied framework has been established to identify the gap between current practices and international best practices or to guide institutional improvement efforts. This study aims to assess the maturity level of resource management practices in Syrian construction firms and analyze the gap between these practices and international benchmarks. A mixed-methods approach was employed, encompassing structured interviews and a quantitative survey. The findings revealed a very strong inverse relationship between the degree of deficiency in local practices and the magnitude of the gap relative to the international benchmark (r = −0.895, p < 0.0001, R² = 0.838) — manifested in deficiencies such as the absence of digital infrastructure and weak operational policies, among others — underscoring the urgent need to adopt integrated institutional and digital mechanisms to enhance resource management practices in local construction firms relative to global standards.