Management challenges and responses : Experiences of property managers operating in the small open economy of Jamaica

Purpose – Efforts to understand the nature of the demanding world of property managers have tended to focus on quantitative inquiry in areas such as property management portfolio decision making, without much study of their lived experiences (Levy, 2006). The purpose of this paper is to understand the management challenges and responses of Jamaican property managers in managing the property management organization and real estate assets. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data to explore the nature of the management challenges and responses to them by property managers. Using the case study approach, property managers from eight of Jamaica's largest property management companies, accounting for a large share of the formal commercial and residential property management activity, were profiled. The collected data were then analyzed and the results presented. Findings – The research results provided support for the assertions that the nature of management challenges and responses reflected the nature or composition of property management portfolios or customers served; the professional success of these property managers was linked to their managerial innovativeness and team orientation; and that property managers utilized work demands and adversities as positive motivators. Originality/value – Responding to the paucity of qualitative research in the field of property management in small, open economies such as Jamaica, this paper employs the qualitative research paradigm to provide insights into the nature of management challenges experienced by property managers and their responses to those challenges. Review of the literature has unearthed no similar study.