Exploring the dimensions of traditional authority influencing stakeholder management at the pre-construction stage of infrastructure projects

In many parts of the world, traditional authorities influence the pre-construction stakeholder management process on infrastructure projects. In this conceptual article, we sought to explore the dimensions of traditional authority that influence stakeholder management at the pre-construction stage, using the case of Ghana. Twenty-nine different issues related to traditional authority were identified through a systematic literature review. Then, through a narrative focus group discussion, the issues were validated, revised and condensed into 21 items. Through thematic analysis, the issues were clustered into four dimensions of traditional authority influences: power and role of traditional leadership; expectations of traditional leadership; project impacts on community resources; and impact of religious and cultural values. Through a further abstraction of the results, we identified six patterns of influence that emerge from the interaction between traditional authorities and other stakeholders, viz.: compromise; uncertainty; instability; power and role suppression; acculturation; and polarization. The findings provide a starting point for theorizing the influence of traditional authority on pre-construction stakeholder management. The findings also provide project managers with information for the development of practical strategies for managing the influence of traditional authorities to ensure an effective stakeholder management process at the pre-construction stage of infrastructure projects.