Wars bring about irreversible change

‘Construction contracting in Malta during wartime – Seeking opportunities during a time of economic and environmental distress’

Authors: Rebecca Dalli Gonz, Simon Grima & Anthony Zarb Dimech Publisher: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. / 2022

Pages: 92pp

One of the most impressive traits of the Maltese national psyche is that during times of wars, pandemics and other trials and tribulations, the Maltese people rose to the occasion demonstrating uncommon resilience and morale.

Construction contracting in Malta during wartime – Seeking opportunities during a time of economic and environmental distress reveals in no small detail how financial structure decisions can evolve from treating profitability as a given to recognising that value depends on the allocation of decisions of control.

In doing so, the book focuses on a Maltese personality, Chev. Angelo Grima (amiably known as IsSur Gulin tal-Qutu) who hailed from Zejtun. He is the main character in this book. He is the key to much of the information about contracts awarded to his firm in the 1900s. He was also continually aided and supported in his construction contracting profession by two of his brothers, Carmelo and Joseph.

The book addresses important questions such as what it takes to identity and act upon opportunities

in a time of distress, high unemployment, hunger, no money and low morale as was the situation during the Second World War in Malta.

The book adopts an intensive research and academic approach, but it does not veer away from instilling a sense of emotion in the reader with several anecdotes thus enriching the text.

The strength of the book is that it is not merely a theoretical research paper but it is backed up with data in the form of contracts and other documentary evidence and proof of the sterling service provided by the Maltese workforce, including living testimonies of those who worked with Chev. Grima.

The book does not fail to put the reader into the picture by describing in no trivial details the historical and contextual background of Malta’s initial fortifications and defences and the intensity of the assaults on Malta during 1940-1943. The book is a fine example of a Maltese case study where sustainability in a time of distress was ensured. One important necessity as pinpointed by the authors is that it is an important necessity for a nation to properly perceive sound investment opportunities. War is one of the catastrophic forms of variance from the norm and, therefore, risk, and it alters, at least for a time, all major social and economic relationships. It complicates the forecasting and expectations and hence appraisals.

The publication identifies the main drivers to seek opportunities in a time of distress as was the Second World War. The main drivers identified were as follows:

• Asking for help

• Participation

• Intuition/spirituality

• Risk-taking

• Sustainability

• Closure

• Identifying the skillsets of the workforce

Indeed, the book reveals how Chev. Grima’s good observation, communication and negotiating skills and his ability to marry the chain of needs to deliver objectives proved successful. In the process Chev. Grima pursued the common good in his endeavours rather than focusing on profit alone.