Construction Management Strategy and Performance of Small and Medium-Sized Rural-Road Contractors in Tanga, Tanzania

Rural roads support socioeconomic development, yet small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) contractors in Tanzania frequently report delays, cost overruns, and quality problems. This study examines associations between four construction management strategy (CMS) dimensions—planning, resource management, monitoring and control, and stakeholder coordination—and construction performance among 245 SME contractors working on projects supervised by the Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency in Tanga Region. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was analysed using descriptive statistics, four supplementary bivariate regressions, and a simultaneous multiple regression. In the combined model, all four dimensions were positively associated with performance: monitoring and control (β = .412, p < .001), resource management (β = .285, p < .001), planning strategy (β = .218, p < .001), and stakeholder coordination (β = .152, p = .011). Together, the four predictors explained 67.4% of observed performance variance (R² = .674; adjusted R² = .669). Because the design is cross-sectional and single-source, these findings indicate association rather than causation. The results identify monitoring and control and resource management as priority capability areas for contractor development, while also supporting integrated improvement across all four dimensions.