ANCIENT THAI BATTLEFIELD STRATEGIES AND ITS STRATEGIC RELEVANCE FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT RELATING TO LEADERSHIP QUALITIES

Abstract

Ancient Thai's art of war is believed by the author to be one of the respectable principles in war management of the East. Due to its sharp observation and judgement of the human behaviour, it should not be only applicable at the national and organisational level, but also at the level of individuals in terms of leadership qualities and particularly to the project manager in the construction industry. The general in the battle shares a common goal and behaviour with the project manager of construction projects in order to succeed in their respective fields through the employment of strategic principles, even though they are different in ambience and setting. Apart from establishing the principles of ancient Thai battlefield strategy, this study conducted a survey of practitioners in Thailand's construction industry so as to ascertain their perceptions regarding war management and its strategic relevance for the construction industry by employing the Delphi poll technique and cross impact study. Also, this dissertation is an attempt to show how ancient Thai battlefield management can be applied at the individual level by adopting a qualitative approach during interviews with practitioners which is especially concerned with the implications on leadership qualities of the project manager in the construction industry similar to that of the general in warfare.