Exploring the Relationship Between Strategic Orientation and Community Engagement Practices Among Real Estate Developers

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the relationship between strategic orientation and community engagement practices among real estate developers. Although real estate development contributes significantly to the built environment, its social dimensions have received less attention than economic or environmental aspects. The study applies the exploration–exploitation framework of Burton, Obel and Håkansson (2020) to assess strategic orientation, and the IAP2 Spectrum (2018) to evaluate community engagement. A qualitative-dominant multiple case study design was employed, based on semi-structured interviews with three private developers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The findings reveal three distinct orientations: Analyzer without Innovation, Prospector, and Analyzer with Innovation. Strategic orientation showed an inclination to influence how developers responded to community needs, but this inclination did not translate into mature or participatory engagement, which remained limited and client-focused. The gap is explained by three factors: contingency pressures linked to regulatory and market environments, the dominance of an instrumental rather than normative view of stakeholders, and organisational culture in the construction sector that prioritises efficiency and technical control over inclusivity. Among the three orientations, the Prospector demonstrated the most mature form of engagement, as seen in its responsiveness in the Nakhil case. The study concludes that strategic orientation alone is insufficient to ensure meaningful community engagement, as broader institutional and sectoral contexts mediate how strategies are enacted.