Abstract:

The aim of this paper is to examine some of the methodological problems associated with multidisciplinary research in international construction firms and to make recommendations about how such problems can be alleviated. This paper gives an insight into the Middle East and describes the universal definition of it, which has been widely accepted. It outlines the nature of the construction industries and illustrates the distinction between features of the construction and manufacturing industries. This paper investigates common research techniques, namely Interviews, Questionnaires and Case Studies, which can be employed In multidisciplinary research, and delineates the strengths and limitations of each approach. It deals with the development of data collection instruments and data analysis. Some of the practical and cultural problems which have faced the researchers during the field study are highlighted and discussed. Then, the paper outlines the scope of my research concerning the multinational construction industries operating in the Middle East, and explains how the sample has been selected. It gives also an explicit description of how I dealt with the methodological problems associated with multidisciplinary research.