Introduction
This report concerns a project that aims to construct a museum in the Sharjah emirate of the United Arab Emirates. The facility is innovative in its approach, which aims to blend traditional exhibit-based methods to museums and modern technologies such as virtual reality. The purpose of this mixture is to represent the history and culture of the region faithfully and accurately while also using the latest technologies and methods to make this information accessible. To improve interactivity and attract tourists, the museum will also incorporate a space for local craftsmen to provide a range of products and activities that represent Sharjah’s heritage. The purpose of this report is to justify the existence of the project and discuss the various stakeholders that will be involved in it. To that end, it will provide a rationale and evaluate stakeholders in terms of mapping and applicable strategies.
Priority Justification
The reason why the project is based in Sharjah is that the emirate would benefit from such an undertaking more than others. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are already highly technologically advanced Emirates that respect and promote their history and culture. Fujairah is also a center of tourism due to its natural attractions and developed tourism industry, and similar considerations apply to Ras Al Khaimah. Neither of these emirates would benefit substantially from the introduction of an additional point of interest, as it would likely have to contend with diminishing returns. Umm Al Quwain is renowned for its Dreamland Aqua Park, which, while an excellent attraction for both Emirati and tourists, is not necessarily culturally relevant. Thus, this report finds either Umm Al Quwain or Sharjah the most suitable location for the museum, but the latter is more appropriate due to its strategic direction.
Sharjah is renowned for its ongoing effort to become a cultural center of the Middle East. Hence, the project will likely be accepted there and implemented, as it is consistent with the emirate’s overall direction. Moreover, 2021 (2020) describes the current Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021, which aims to promote it as a tourist destination, empower cultural and heritage elements, adopt innovative tourism approaches, and emphasize collaborative action to enhance efficiencies. The museum can satisfy all of these requirements, serving as a tourist attraction, displaying Sharjah heritage, using VR technologies to provide novel experiences to visitors, and hosting a variety of local entrepreneurs to secure mutual benefits. As such, the Sharjah Emirate is an excellent location for the project, as it satisfies a variety of requirements and aligns with its objectives, though some factors still need to be taken into consideration.
While Sharjah aims to further improve its status as a cultural center, it has already created a robust framework of various sites and museums. Its various cultural attractions that are based on historic buildings, as well as its dedicated heritage museum, are particularly noteworthy because their goals and effects overlap substantially with the project. As such, the emirate may not be interested in constructing a new museum with a similar purpose, instead preferring to renovate their current facilities and introduce new technologies. With that said, this issue is not necessarily sufficient to prevent the project from going forward or receiving adequate support. It can succeed if it can differentiate itself from Sharjah’s current enterprises sufficiently with its novel elements. To assist in this differentiation, it is essential to identify stakeholders and their needs, finding a solution that satisfies each one.
Stakeholder Identification
Sharjah’s authorities are prominent stakeholders, as they will play a substantial role in securing the project’s approval. It is necessary to approach them and secure their support before beginning construction to ensure that all legal requirements are met and that they approve of the initiative. By creating a friendly relationship with Sharjah’s governing authorities, the museum will be able to integrate itself into the emirate’s broader collaborative framework. With that said, the emirate’s leadership is likely to approve of the project, as it will further enhance cultural tourism to the city. McManus (2016) claims that museums contribute to this variety of travel, which attracts affluent visitors, substantially while also promoting and sustaining the local culture, which contributes to their overall popularity with policymakers.
The community is another vital stakeholder, as it stands to benefit from the introduction of a new tourist attraction. The museum will likely employ local workers and source necessary supplies from nearby businesses, increasing the flow of money in the area. It will also provide locations for Sharjah entrepreneurs, enabling them to improve their incomes and sustaining the local culture. Moreover, the tourists visiting the museum are also likely to spend time at nearby businesses, both accommodations and amenities such as restaurants, creating an indirect community benefit. However, if it does not engage in these practices, it can create dissatisfaction in the area, as it would be using the resources without generating a substantial benefit. Community disapproval may build a poor reputation for the museum, lowering its attractiveness and popularity. As such, its qualities as a stakeholder need to be taken into account for the project to proceed smoothly.
The company’s owners are another essential stakeholder category, as they are vital to the project’s existence. Their purpose in promoting the museum’s construction is to generate a profit, which can be accomplished by creating an adequate revenue stream without incurring excessive costs. If the project fails to perform to the company owners’ expectations, they may interfere to reduce its scope and rearrange the plan to make it more profitable. In extreme cases, they may cancel the project altogether if they see that it will not satisfy their requirements, choosing to partially recoup their losses by selling the unfinished project to someone else to use for a different purpose. To avoid these problems, the project manager needs to stay in contact with the owners and ensure that effective communication regarding the project’s goal and its current state takes place at all times.
Lastly, the customers who will be visiting the museum have to be taken into consideration. They expect to see a unique experience at the museum, different from the others they can find in Sharjah. Moreover, they would like to receive high-quality services and see excellent entrepreneurial activities and crafts in the dedicated section. Based on their visit to the museum, they will create its overall reputation by recommending it to others or advising them to avoid it. In the modern age, customer feedback is easy to access on the Internet, and people increasingly rely on such tools to form an initial opinion of a location. As such, even for tourism, customer opinions can substantially influence the future revenue flow of a site in either direction. Hence, the project’s success largely depends on how well it can cater to their desires and needs.
Interest The authorities of Sharjah likely have little interest in the museum project, as it is not a public facility. They will mostly be concerned over its compliance with the law and participation in various cultural initiatives. Beyond that, they will let it operate without much interference, as is standard in public-private relationships. With that said, if the government decides to become involved, it can exercise extensive influence over its progress and overall existence. Depending on the degree of misconduct the authorities find, they can impose penalties or require specific actions to be taken, introducing additional costs or time into the project. Moreover, the manager will not have the right to refuse a legitimate intervention, and challenges to illegitimate ones can take a substantial time. Overall, the government’s power is extremely high, and it is in the “Keep Satisfied” portion of the Stakeholder Matrix.
The community will generally not feel the effects of the museum directly, especially during the construction and early operation stages. Over time, it may develop to be more reliant on the facility, creating infrastructure that depends on it and integrating cash flows. However, such a shift can only happen as a result of the museum’s success, as the community is unlikely to exert a concerted effort to promote the museum to benefit itself. Overall, it can be asserted that the community’s interest in the museum will be low, at least initially, which is the period with which the project is concerned. Its power to influence the museum is also low, with it able to contribute to its reputation somewhat, but not substantially. As such, the community should be considered in the “Monitor” section in fig. 1.
The owners have a substantial interest in the project and influence over it, which justifies their inclusion in the “Manage Closely” category. As mentioned above, they need the construction to proceed on time and the finished museum to create sufficient profits to offset the costs. To that end, they will likely regularly monitor the project and check for any issues that may jeopardize its progress. Additionally, as also discussed above, the owners can exert massive influence over the project, as they have the ability to overrule any decision and institute theirs. Hence, it is vital for the project manager to work with them closely and ensure that the project complies with their needs.
The customers belong in the same category, as they will determine whether the project succeeds in the long term. They have a substantial interest in the museum, as they will be spending their time and money there. As such, they want to receive the best possible experience and can contribute substantially to it with feedback and improvement suggestions. Additionally, as discussed in the previous section, they have high power over the facility, which they will likely exercise. In addition to influencing its future customer numbers through reviews and recommendations, customers can also change their spending depending on how attractive the museum’s activities are. As such, they can affect revenue both directly and indirectly, and, being the sole source of income for the facility, they require close interactions.
Stakeholder Management
To leverage the strength of the authorities as a stakeholder group, the project manager will have to engage with them closely. It is essential that they familiarize themselves with all pertinent laws and guarantee that no activities taken during the course of the project go against it. With that said, this task is challenging for a single person to complete, which is why it is typical to hire assistance. Fewings and Henjewele (2019) recommend hiring consultants that specialize in such specialized topics to assist in the project manager’s work and describe a process for doing so. With the advice of said consultants, compliance with all regulations can be assured, enabling the work to proceed smoothly. Additionally, the project manager will be able to become more involved with the authorities and cooperate with them to turn the museum into a substantial part of the emirate’s cultural promotion effort.
To engage the community, the project manager will need to position the business in a manner that involves people beyond the basic operations. Brown, Carroll, and Buchholtz (2017) propose measures such as local sourcing, joining public policy debates, locating facilities in areas that benefit community development, and conducting additional community action programs. As such, it should be possible to leverage the museum’s specialization in UAE heritage to engage in educational tours for children and adults. By doing so regularly and free of charge, the project can promote its popularity in the community while also generating a positive reputation. Other methods of participation, such as using the entrepreneur grounds to occasionally host events, may also be possible, depending on the museum’s final design.
To maximize the advantages of working with the company’s owners, the project manager should regularly report to them and keep them appraised of the latest significant developments. Through transparent communication, it should be possible to secure their trust in the project to perform well regardless of the setbacks that may occur. Additionally, the manager will be able to learn of their changing needs and opinions on particular matters, which enables the timely adjustment of the necessary aspects of the project. With regard to the customers, the project manager should establish and maintain feedback and communication mechanisms. Visitors should be asked about their opinions, which then need to be compiled and processed. By using the results to focus on improving particular services, the museum should be able to create a contemporary and highly enjoyable experience, attracting additional people.
Conclusion
The project has substantial potential in Sharjah, but there are also complicating factors that require the project manager to perform excellently to guarantee success. They need to have a definite understanding of the four stakeholder categories identified: the authorities, the community, the company owners, and the visitors. The first needs to be kept satisfied through regular communication and careful compliance with the law. The second does not necessitate excessive effort but can benefit the business if it engages in community-centric initiatives. However, the other two stakeholder categories are both highly interested in the project and have large amounts of power over it. Therefore, for the owners, regular and transparent two-way communication is required to ensure that the project proceeds unimpeded. With regard to customers, feedback should be collected and incorporated into operations continuously to achieve improvement and superior satisfaction.
Reference List
2021 (2020) Web.
Brown, J., Carroll, A. B. and Buchholtz, A. K. (2017) Business & society: ethics, sustainability & stakeholder management. 10th edn. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Fewings, P. and Henjewele, C. (2019) Construction project management: an integrated approach. 3rd edn. Abingdon: Routledge.
McManus, P. M. (ed.) (2016) Archaeological displays and the public: museology and interpretation. 2nd edn. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis.