The Leadership Styles of Successful Project Managers – Investigating the Successful Project Delivery and Management Methods

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The Leadership Styles of Successful Project Managers – Investigating the Successful Project Delivery & Management Methods.

Abstract

This study aimed at determining the best leadership styles for successful project management that can be used by all project managers. A quantitative research method, a questionnaire was selected to conduct this research, where the survey data was collected from 74 project managers from different SMEs and large-scale enterprises in the Middle East region via Survey Monkey. The quantitative data was statically analyzed using frequency distribution analysis. Based on the research, the transformational leadership style was the best leadership style for successful project management and can be used by all project managers. The transformational leadership style enables the successful completion of projects in the most effective manner within a specific time period and stipulated budget. It is recommended for the project managers of SMEs and large-scale enterprises in the Middle East region to employ a transformational leadership style to complete projects successfully within the target period and under the stipulated budget. However, when unexpected situations are expected in projects, it is recommended to use situational leadership as it enables the project managers to adopt a leadership style according to the requirements and circumstances of each project.

Introduction

Background to Research

In today’s complex economy, project management is rapidly becoming the leading organisations’ choice practice (Pinto, 2007). Project management deals with people management and handles the management of time and resources (Veal, 2004). The complex projects being executed nowadays necessitates efficient management of people, time, and resources and qualified and improved leadership (Zimmerer & Yasin, 1998).

Most scholars in the field of project management such as; Muller and Turner (2007), Lloyd-Walker and Walker (2011), DuBois, Hanlon, Koch, Nyatuga, and Kerr (2015) agree that different leaders have different leadership styles, and each of the styles contributes to project success in different ways. Erickson et al. (2015) also report that leadership style plays an influential role in any given project’s performance. They argue that leadership style is an important project success factor and that some styles are better situated for certain situations than others.

It was suggested by Barber and Warns (2005) that the project manager must possess leadership skills to be able to move the project in the correct direction. Therefore, it is imperative for a successful project that the project manager continuously develops his leadership skills (Burke, 2013). To complete a project, it is essential that the project manager is proficient in the technical know-how about the project and should also possess administrative and leadership capabilities (Burke, 2007). However, there is no consensus among scholars about the most appropriate leadership style for successful project management.

Leadership enables the team members to realize their potential and successfully achieve the desired goal (Daft, 2014). Several leadership style theories are available in the literature, such as; laisse-fair leadership (Lewin, LIippit & White, 1939), contingency or situational leadership (Hersey& Blanchard, 1969), transformational leadership (Burns, 1978), emotional intelligence (Dulewicz & Higgs, 2000). However, the researchers related to project management have limited evidence regarding which leadership styles are best for successful project management or project managers (Muller & Turner, 2007).

Given this, the present study focuses on exploring different leadership styles adopted by project managers in the Middle East region, and undertake a critical analysis of these leadership styles; to better understand and suggest which leadership style is the best for project management and is used by successful project managers. A representative sample of the piddle East region’s project manager was selected to collect primary data through surveys. The research also utilized past research that has already been conducted about this topic in the theoretical and empirical literature. However, as the empirical literature explaining the leadership styles used by the project managers is limited; therefore, it would be inevitable to include the literature on leadership styles which is not related to project management. Besides, the existing empirical literature on project management provides evidence related to the attributes or traits or qualities necessary for a successful project manager, so it was reviewed in the literature review. This research will add to the existing literature by concluding which of the leadership styles and attributes are best for successful project management.

Rationale for Research

Many scholars like Armandi, Oppedisano, and Sherman (2003) and DuBois et al. (2015) argue that such a leadership style does not exist which can be applied effectively to all projects. This implies that the type of project also plays a significant role in dictating the type of leadership style that project managers employ. In the past, various studies have been conducted to establish clearly how leadership styles vary with project types (DuBois et al., 2015). One such study was by Muller and Turner (2007) who reported that for successful completion of different projects it is necessary that such a leadership style is used which is by the project type will make the project successful. However, which successful project managers use leadership styles are not suggested in these past researches. Moreover, limited evidence exists in the past empirical literature regarding the leadership style of successful project managers. In this regard, this research is highly significant. It is focused on empirically analysing which of project managers’ attributes are best for project management’s success and which leadership style is best for project management.

Aims and Objectives

This present study aims at determining the best leadership styles for successful project management that can be used by all project managers. Based on the research aim, the objectives are:

1. To determine the main leadership styles and qualities or attributes of project managers
2. .To determine which leadership styles are best suited for successful completion of projects within the target period and under the stipulated budget

Structure of the Dissertation

The dissertation structure is based on five elements, namely; introduction, literature review, methodology, results and analysis, and conclusions and recommendations. The introduction covers the research background, the rationale for the research, aims and objectives, and limiting factors. The literature review covers the theoretical and empirical past literature related to the leadership styles and leadership styles/traits best for the project management/managers. The methodology covers the research philosophy, research design, research questions, data collection methods, and ethical issues. The results and analysis cover the results in the output of the statistical data analysis, interpretation and discussion based on the findings of the results The conclusions and recommendations section covers the recommendations for future research and practical applications and conclusions where the summary of the main findings are concluded in relation with the research questions and aim of this study. The appendix is also provided at the end. 

Styles of Leadership

As per Cleland, leadership is “a presence and a process carried out within an organizational role that assumes responsibility for the needs and rights of those people who choose to follow the leader in accomplishing project results” (1995, p. 86). No matter what skills are possessed by leaders, different leaders perform their leadership roles in varying styles. These styles are different in nature, for instance, autocratic, transformational, democratic, hands-off, participative, and situational. In the literature, various styles of leadership are discussed; however, in the context of project management, few of the leaderships are discussed, such as; transformational leadership style, situational leadership style, laissez-faire leadership style, transactional leadership style, and emotional intelligence.

Transformational Leadership Style

It is a leadership style where the leader, as being a mentor, works along with his followers; while leading them by example, he motivates and encourages them to achieve some positive change and self-development (Muller, Geraldi, & Turner, 2012). Prabhakar (2005) elaborated on the different types of styles that existed and further classified them in terms of stability; transformational leadership thrives on change, controls through systems and procedures, and exercises ‘control’, which will promote an inspirational vision within a firm. Moreover, it is also very important to boost staff empowerment by knowing their value.

Furthermore, a transformational leader is defined as an individual who contributes towards transforming a working organization (Joyce & Judge, 2004). Therefore, this is carried out by motivating employees, inspiring them, and developing their personal strength, which will, in turn, take them to a higher level of performing. Thus, this will also contribute to firm success. As the leader is a role model for the workers, he will have to work harder to gain a certain kind of respect and win the trust of his followers. Even in hard situations, such leaders have to lead their subordinates by example in order to gain their trust and respect. This shows how integrity and high values are maintained by transformational leaders. (Garfield & Stanton, 2009)

Leadership style also emphasizes the communication approach through with the vision is clearly communicated to the subordinates. Additionally, the focus should be placed on long-term goals, and at the same time, importance should be given to individuality, principles, and values. According to Grossman and Valiga (2009), transformational leaders also take into consideration creativity, innovation, and intellectual stimulation. Moreover, meaningful and challenging tasks and projects are as well designed by leaders that will prove to be beneficial for the followers.

Transformation leaders motivate subordinates to participate in problem-solving by analyzing the situation through critical thinking. Moreover, such leaders elevate the interests of subordinates and make them empower (Kouzes & Posner, 2007). On the other hand, transformational leaders are also the ones to motivate all the workers whereby they have a positive influence on them while building high performances and satisfactory teams. The subordinates, after getting empowered, are able to achieve a higher performance level. This leadership style develops self-motivation in followers. Historic leaders like Genghis Khan had used a transformational style of leadership, and by using which he was able to unite the uncivilized Mongols to create the world’s largest army of his time. (Feinberg, Ostroff, & Burke, 2005)

Situational Leadership Style

The contingency theory of leadership discussed above provides the basis for this leadership style (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969). It is a leadership style where the leader manages and leads their followers by adapting and adjusting his style to fit the needs of the followers and the situation (Hersey, Blanchard, & Johnson, 2008). According to situational leadership, such a leadership style is to be adopted, which is suitable for the circumstances of the situation at hand. In order to come up with an effective approach to leadership, it is very important to understand the situation properly in which the leader has to work. This can be done by analyzing the team or firm’s competencies, skills, and motivation. Therefore, as the situation progresses, the leader will also have to decide on the style that will be most appropriate for the development level of the team or company. As a result, the leader has to manage certain kinds of changes in their leadership style instead of concentrating upon setting up a permanent and dominating style.

DiMarco, Goodson, and Houser (1989), while analyzing the application of situational leadership style in project management, suggested that project managers require to have diversified leadership skills so that they are able to manage the uncertainties which may arise in project management. For successful project management, a range of leadership skills is required for the project managers to possess. It was concluded that for successful project management, it is necessary for project managers to select such a leadership style which is according to the environment and circumstance of a given project, and so situational leadership style was found to be the best for project management.

Laissez-faire Leadership Style

It is a leadership style where a leader delegates the authority to their followers and gives them the liberty to make their own decision and do work (Muller, Geraldi, & Turner, 2012). It is also termed as hands-off style because the subordinates get the liberty to solve problems on their own, while supervision and guidance can be offered by the leader (Alice, Johannesen-Schmidt & Engen, 2003). In addition, without being directly connected to the processes, the subordinates fulfill their roles and tackle their work assignments effectively and efficiently. Generally, this approach is accompanied by little direction and motivation by leaving the team in difficulties. Moreover, this approach is most suitable in the research and development section, whereby the employees are highly motivated and skilful and have the potential to produce excellent results. However, in order to gain a certain kind of popularity and self-gain, in some circumstances, it is not weird that some leaders can even misuse this style by dragging the project to a loss. (Ulrich & Ulrich, 2010)

This leadership style is not effective in developing motivation and job satisfaction in virtual employees. This type of leadership style is ineffective in project management because due to complete freedom, the project can go beyond the scope, vision, and timeframe (Alice, Johannesen-Schmidt & Engen, 2003). The project manager’s duty is to ensure that the scope, vision, and timeframe of a project are as per planning. Due to a lack of participation from the leader in the laissez-faire leadership style, the leader is unable to control the scope, vision, and timeframe of a project, and so this style of leadership is not suitable to use for project management. (Lee, 2016)

Transactional Leadership Style

This leadership style is a leadership style that aims to; analyze, organize, and supervise the performance of the subordinates. The transactional leaders monitor the work of their subordinates so that the subordinates can be controlled and any deficiency in their performance can be identified. This type of leader likes the subordinates to follow them as commanded (Bass, 2008). This leadership style is based on the exchange principle so that when subordinates show good performance, they are offered positive rewards; however, when they show bad performance, they are punished or not offered any positive rewards. This motivates subordinates to show good performance, and hence this style of leadership is in line with Maslow’s theory of needs (Joyce & Judge, 2004). Very limited evidence exists in the literature of project management related to transactional leaders; therefore, this leadership style was not much focused on in this study and not included in the fieldwork.

Emotional Intelligence Leadership Style

The capability of people to comprehend and address the emotions of their own and of those who are around them is known as emotional intelligence (Pahl, 2009). The leadership style where a leader leads the followers while managing and considering their own emotions as well as of their subordinates is based on emotional intelligence (Brown & Moshavi, 2005). A high level of emotional intelligence is indicated by how well individuals can understand why they are feeling something, what are the meaning of different emotions, how their emotions can affect others, and how they can manage their emotions and that of others (Williams, 2007). The ability of leaders to understand emotions can affect their subordinates’ performances. According to Jiang (2014), for a specific project, it is appropriate to use a leadership style based on emotional intelligence.

A study was performed in India by Bhalerao and Kumar (2016) to study how subordinates’ commitment level is impacted by the leaders’ emotional intelligence. Through the survey, quantitative data were collected from respondents from the manufacturing and IT industry. Based on the results, the subordinates’ commitment level was found to be insignificantly related to leaders’ emotional intelligence. Cavazotte, Moreno, and Hickman (2012) had performed a study to identify how leadership performance and transformational leadership style impact the emotional intelligence and personality of leaders. It was found that the transformational leadership style has a significant relationship with emotional intelligence.

Qualities/Attributes of Leader for Successful Project Management

In this section, the empirical evidence from the past researches related to the leadership qualities for successful project management or of successful project managers is discussed. Norrie and Walker had defined project management as “the day-to-day operations of a project plan in pursuit of an agreed set of outcomes – on time and within budget” (2004, p. 48). Despite being identified as necessary for project success, strong project leadership does not necessarily translate into the completion of successful projects (Gray & Larson, 2002). The aim of project management is to ensure that the requirements of a project are met, for instance, in terms of; quality, scope, delivery time, and budget (Murugesan, 2012). According to Murugesan (2012), for project management success, the following leadership attributes are necessary for the project manager/leader to possess, namely; good communication, emotional intelligence, calmness, trustworthiness, ability to solve problems, and build a team. Hagberg (2006) had conducted a study and found that for successful project management, the project managers/leadership must possess the following attributes; flexibility, diplomatic, listening and negotiation skills, confidence, decisiveness, financial competency, and cost mindedness, sincerity, and ability to delegate.

While analyzing the leadership qualities of project managers, it was identified by Curran, Niedergassel, Picker, and Leker (2009) that level of trust between project managers and team members has a significant impact on the project manager’s success. However, the risk and support of upper management were found to have an insignificant impact on the project manager’s success. It was also suggested that strong project leaders have a high level of trust in their subordinates and team members.

It is suggested by Kerzner (2013) that open communication coaching and teamwork are necessary for managers to effectively managing projects. It is vital that the managers are able to resolve conflicts and enhance the capabilities of their team members to achieve optimum project results. Moreover, for long terms success empowering the subordinates and delegation of power is necessary for the project managers. (Kerzner, 2013)

Three categories of qualities are highlighted by Muller, Geraldi, and Turner (2012), which are necessary for the managers/leaders to have for managing projects successfully, namely, emotional qualities, intellectual qualities, and managerial qualities. Pandya (2014) had suggested that for successful project management nowadays, it is necessary for the project managers to have certain leadership qualities in addition to technical knowledge, namely, flexibility and out-of-the-box thinking, positive attitude, highest ethical values, and morality, and interpersonal skills.

Besides, the project manager’s personal qualities or traits can impact the type of leadership the project manager select (Malach-Pines, Dvir, & Sadeh, 2008). Zakaria, Mohamed, Ahzahar, and Hashim (2015) had conducted a study and found 7 leadership attributes of successful project managers and found these attributes to have a positive impact on the success of projects. Those leadership attributes are namely; goal setting and planning, sense of responsibility, team building, time management, good communication, decisiveness and ability to solve problems, and conflict resolution. However, out of these seven attributes, the goal setting, and planning attribute is the most important for construction project management.

Antonakis, Avolio, and Sivasubramaniam (2003) conducted a study using full range MLQ to measure the following leadership qualities; laissez-faire, contingent reward, intellectual stimulation, idealized influence, inspirational motivation, individualized consideration, and active and passive management by exception. Clark (2004) had suggested certain leadership qualities which are necessary for project management effectiveness. Those leadership qualities were namely; time management, conflict resolution, teamwork, coaching, delegation, open communication, collective decision making, monitoring of tasks. Udhayakumar and Karthikeyan (2014) had conducted a study to identify the managerial qualities for successful construction project managers. It was found that to become a leader, it is necessary that project managers must be; perfectionists, dedicated, punctual, courageous, and able to understand the behaviour of others.

Montequina, Nieto, Ortegaa, and Villanuevaa (2015) conducted research based on the survey to identify what leadership qualities are possessed by successful project managers. In this study, the personality theory given by Jung (1988) was employed to formulate a questionnaire-based five-point Likert scale. Through the survey, primary data was collected from 78 project managers from different countries. There were 13 questions in the questionnaire which were focused on identifying the preference of project managers to identify leadership qualities. However, in each question, two contradicting qualities were evaluated, for instance, preference for flexibility over control. Based on the results, certain leadership qualities of successful project managers were identified, namely; structured behaviours, rational decision making, and extroverts. It was found that the successful project managers; are more sociable than reserved, are more firm people than pleasing, are more extroverts than introverts, respect fairness more than empathy, respect deadlines more than adapting them to new circumstances, prefer making logical decisions than decisions based on emotions, prefer making decisions based on objectivity than decisions based on team consensus, prefer control more than flexibility, prefer the scope of projects to be freeze than leaving it open for addition.

DuBois et al. (2015) had performed research to find critical leadership qualities which can have an impact on project success. The following leadership qualities were critical for the project success; self-confidence, openness, organization, team building, re-evaluation if required, clearly defined success criteria and scope of the project, clearly established roles and relationships of team members. Having one or two of these leadership qualities is not sufficient, rather It is necessary that leaders possess a combination of these qualities to be able to manage a project and subordinates efficiently. It was also found that these leadership qualities enable the project completed efficiently in less time.

Leadership Style and Project Management

In this section, the empirical evidence from the past researches related to the leadership style for successful project management is discussed. Muller and Turner (2007) while reviewing the past researchers related to the leadership styles used by successful project managers identified that for successful project management it is necessary that the leadership style of the project manager is in line with the type of the project. Although the leadership styles which are used by successful project managers were not found in the past researchers (Muller & Turner, 2007).

Vierimaa (2013) had also studied the emotional Intelligence leadership of project managers by reviewing the past literature and interviews of five project managers. The qualitative data was obtained by using semi-structured interviews. It was found that teamwork can be improved by using emotional intelligence in project management. This will enable the project managers to recognize and comprehend the subordinates’ emotions by which they would be able to better address their emotions and improve the efficiency of the team.

Kotlyar and Karakowsky (2007) had performed a study using MLQ to measure different leadership styles namely; passive-avoidant transactional, and transformational styles of leadership. Based on the research the MLQ was found to be effective in measuring the specific leadership styles. Moreover, it enables individuals to self assist their own leadership behaviours and identify how they perceive their leadership qualities.

How the project management performance and employees job satisfaction can be affected by the emotional Intelligence of project leaders was analyzed by Turner (2007). Emotional Intelligence was taken as a performance measure in this study. It was argued that limited evidence exists in the past literature where the emotional dimension was studied to improve the performance of projects. Based on this research it was found that project outcome depends upon job performance and job satisfaction level of project team members, and the job performance and job satisfaction level of project team members are affected by an understanding of emotional intelligence.

Moreover while analyzing the relationship between different leadership styles of project managers and project success it was identified by Yang, Huang, and Wu (2011) that transformational and transactional leadership styles are most appropriate to use for project managers. A complete version of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) given by Bass and Avolio (2004) was used by the researchers to measure the components of different leadership styles. Different leadership styles namely; transformational, laissez-faire, transactional, and leadership by exception were measured on the basis of certain traits.

A study was conducted by Maamari and Majdalani (2017) to find how leadership style is impacted by emotional intelligence and how organizational citizenship behaviour of employees is impacted by leadership style. In this research, the leadership style was used as a mediator to identify its impact on the relationship between organizational climate and the emotional intelligence of leaders. A survey-based quantitative method was employed in this study to collect data on the basis of which the proposed model was statistically tested. Based on the results the leadership style was found to be positively impacted by the emotional intelligence of leaders. Moreover, the perception of employees regarding the organizational climate was found to be positively impacted by the leadership style. Therefore, the leadership style was found to have a mediating role between organizational climate and the emotional intelligence of leaders.

Conclusion

By reviewing the previous literature different leadership theories, different leadership styles and qualities of successful project managers are identified. It was evident that there are six leadership theories found in the literature; namely; trait-based leadership, behaviour or style based leadership, contingency-based leadership, emotional Intelligence-based leadership, competency-based leadership, and charismatic or visionary based leadership theory. Moreover, different leadership styles were found in the literature, such as; laissez-faire leadership, situational leadership, transformational leadership, and transactional leadership style. However limited evidence of leadership styles was found in the context of project management, which includes; autocratic leadership style, democratic leadership style, and transactional leadership style. However, in the context of project management, few of the leadership styles are found, namely; transformational leadership style, situational leadership style, laissez-faire leadership style, and emotional intelligence. In addition variety of leadership qualities/trails were identified which are necessary for successful project management or are possessed by successful project managers, namely; good communication, emotional intelligence, calmness, trustworthiness, ability to solve problems, build team (Murugesan, 2012), flexibility, diplomatic, listening and negotiation skills, confidence, decisiveness, financial competency and cost mindedness, sincerity, ability to delegate (Hagberg, 2006), open communication, coaching, and team work (Kerzner, 2013), emotional qualities, intellectual qualities, and managerial qualities (Muller, Geraldi, & Turner, 2012), flexibility and out-of-the-box thinking, positive attitude, highest ethical values and morality, interpersonal skills (Pandya, 2014), goal setting and planning, sense of responsibility, team building, time management, good communication, decisiveness and ability to solve problems, and conflict resolution (Zakaria, Mohamed, Ahzahar, & Hashim, 2015), contingent reward, intellectual stimulation, idealized influence, inspirational motivation, individualized consideration, and active and passive management by exception (Antonakis, Avolio, & Sivasubramaniam, 2003), time management, conflict resolution, teamwork, coaching, delegation, open communication, collective decision making, monitoring of task (Clark, 2004), perfectionist, dedicated, punctual, courageous, able to understand behaviour of others (Udhayakumar & Karthikeyan, 2014), sociable, firm people, extroverts, fairness, respect deadlines, logical and objective decision making, prefer control (Montequina et al., 2015), self-confidence, openness, organization, team building, re-evaluation if required, clearly defined success criteria and scope of project, clearly established roles and relationship of team members (DuBois et al., 2015).

Results and Analysis

Introduction

This section presents results from all the data collected. The survey data were analysed using frequency distribution analysis and the results are discussed while comparing and contrasting it with the past literature to identify if this research validates or contradicts the existing empirical literature. Efforts were made to ensure coherence between the sections of the paper. In this regard, the results and discussion helped in addressing the research objectives and answering the research questions. The results of the frequency distribution analysis were based on 74 respondents. However, there were some missing values in the data as some of the respondents had not answered all of the questions. Survey Monkey provided the result outputs of frequency distribution analysis of the surveyed data. Based on the results of the frequency distribution analysis the most repeated answer choices were identified to indicate the view of the majority of the respondents. The first two questions (questions 1 and 2) were related to the demographics of the respondents to identify their age group and if they were working in SMEs or large-scale enterprises. Then five questions (from questions 3 to 7) were focused to identify the leadership style which was best; for successful completion of projects within a specific time period, for successful completion of projects within a stipulated budget, in terms of managing unexpected situations which may result in project delay or inefficiency, in terms of most effective completion of projects, in terms of communication and interpersonal skills necessary for project management. The remaining seventeen questions (from questions 8 to 24) of the questionnaire were based on 5 points Likert scale and focused to identify the leadership qualities/attributes of the most successful project managers. The results and findings from the questionnaire are discussed in the following sub-section.

Findings from Questionnaire

The question 1 of the questionnaire was focused to identify the gender of the respondents. Based on the results given in table 4.1 it was found that 80.8% of the project managers were males, while the rest 19.2% of the project managers were female. This indicated that there were more males project managers amongst the respondents than females and so there were significant gender biases present in the data.

Table 4.1

Question 2 was focused to identify how many of the respondents were from SMEs and how many were from large-scale enterprises. In this regard in question 2, the respondents were asked to select if there are ‘less than 250’ or ‘more than 250’ employees in their companies. If there were ‘less than 250’ employees in a company then it was SMEs while if there were ‘more than 250’ employees then it was large-scale enterprises. It was found that 25.7% of the respondents had selected ‘less than 250’, however, 74.3% of the respondents had selected ‘more than 250’ employees as shown in table 4.2 given below. This indicated that the project managers had representation from SMEs and large-scale enterprises both, however, the majority of the project managers were from large-scale enterprises.

Table 4.2

Table 4.2

In question 3 the respondents were asked to select the leadership style which is best for the successful completion of projects within a specific time period. The results output of frequency distribution analysis of question 3 is provided in table 4.3 given below. Based on the results it was evident that 50% of the project managers had selected transformational leadership style, 41.2% had selected situational leadership style, 5.9% had selected Laissez-faire leadership style, and only 2.9% had selected emotional intelligence leadership style. This indicated that in view of the majority of the project managers transformational leadership style is the best for the successful completion of projects within a specific time period. When the projects are to be completed within a specific time period then transformational leadership style is the best to employ.

Table 4.3

The subsequent question (question 4) was focused to identify the leadership style which is best for the successful completion of projects within a stipulated budget. The results output of frequency distribution analysis of question 4 is provided in table 4.4 given below. Based on the results it was clear that 47.8% of the project managers had selected transformational leadership style, 39.1% had selected situational leadership style, and 5.8% had selected laissez-faire leadership style, while 7.2% had selected emotional intelligence leadership style.

This shows that in view of the majority of the project managers transformational leadership style is best for the successful completion of projects within a stipulated budget. When the projects are to be completed within a tight budget then it is best to use a transformational leadership style.

Table 4.4

In the next question (question 5) the respondents were requested to select the leadership style which is best in terms of managing unexpected situations which may result in project inefficiency. The results output of frequency distribution analysis of question 5 given below in table 4.5 reflects that 20.3% of the project managers had selected transformational leadership style, 59.4% had selected situational leadership style, and 5.8% had selected Laissez-faire leadership style, however, 14.5% had selected emotional intelligence leadership style. It was evident that the majority of the project managers believed situations leadership style to be the best leadership style in terms of managing unexpected situations which may result in project inefficiency. Therefore when unexpected situations are expected in projects then it is best to use a situational leadership style.

Table 4.5

In question 6 the respondents were asked to select the leadership style which is best in terms of the most effective completion of projects. The results output given below in table 4.6 indicates that 48.5% of the project managers had selected transformational leadership style, 39.7% had selected situational leadership style, and 11.8% had selected Laissez-faire leadership style, however, 0.0% had selected emotional intelligence leadership style. This reflected that in view of the majority of the project managers transformational leadership style is the best in terms of the most effective completion of projects. Most effective completion of projects becomes possible by using transformational leadership style.

Table 4.6

Moreover in question 7, the respondents were requested to select the leadership style which is best in terms of communication and interpersonal skills necessary for project management. The results output given below in table 4.7 below shows that 28.6% of the project managers had selected transformational leadership style, 18.5% had selected situational leadership style, and 10.0% had selected Laissez-faire leadership style, however, 42.9% had selected emotional intelligence leadership style. This indicates that in view of the majority of the project managers, a leadership style based on emotional intelligence is the best in terms of communication and interpersonal skills necessary for project management. The leadership based on emotional intelligence is able to understand, express and address their own emotions and that of their subordinates therefore such leaders are able to have good communication and interpersonal skills.

Table 4.7

The next question (question 8) was based on 5 points Likert scale, where the project managers were requested to express the extent to which they were agreed or disagreed that the most successful project managers prefer to make decisions based on logic more than on emotional arguments. Based on the results given below in table 4.8 it was found that 7.1% of the respondent project managers were strongly disagreed, and 1.4% disagreed with the statement of the question. While 7.1% were neither agreed nor disagreed with the statement. However, 54.3% were agreed and 30.0% were strongly agreed that most successful project managers prefer to make decisions based on logic more than on emotional arguments. This indicates that in view of the majority of the respondents the most successful project managers make logical decisions rather than decision-based on emotions.

Table 4.8

In question 9 the responding project managers were requested to express the extent to which they were agreed or disagreed that the most successful project managers are sociable more than reserved people. Based on the results given below in table 4.9 it was found that 1.5% of the project managers were strongly disagreed, and 9% disagreed with the statement of the question. While 16.4% were neither agreed nor disagreed with the statement. However, 53.7% were agreed and 19.4% were strongly agreed that the most successful project managers are sociable more than reserved people. This indicates that in view of the majority of the respondents the most successful project managers are sociable more than reserved people.

Table 4.9

Moreover in question 10, the responding project managers were asked to express the extent to which they were agreed or disagreed that the most successful project managers prefer a structured organization more than a flexible organization. It was evident based on the results of question 10 given below in table 4.10 that 1.4% of the project managers were strongly disagreed, and 14.5% disagreed with the statement of the question. While 24.6% were neither agreed nor disagreed, however, 52.2% were agreed and 7.2% were strongly agreed that most successful project managers prefer a structured organization more than a flexible organization. This shows that in view of the majority of the respondents the most successful project managers prefer a structured organization more than a flexible organization.

Table 4.10

Question 11 was focused to identify the extent to which the project managers were agreed or disagreed that the most successful project managers prefer to have control more than flexibility. It was evident based on the results of question 10 given below in table 4.11 that 1.5% of the respondent project managers were strongly disagreed, and 16.2% disagreed with the statement of the question. While 20.6% were neither agreed nor disagreed, however, 50.0% were agreed and 11.8% were strongly agreed that most successful project managers prefer to have control more than flexibility. This indicates that in view of the majority of the respondents the most successful project managers prefer to have control more than flexibility. From the results, it is inferred that for successful project management it is more important that project managers have control than flexibility.

Table 4.11

Afterwards in question 12 the responding project managers were asked to express the extent to which they were agreed or disagreed that the most successful project managers prefer to make consensus team decisions more than objective decisions. It was found as shown in the table 4.12 that 4.5% of the project managers were strongly disagreed, and 32.8% was disagreed with the statement of the question. While 19.4% were neither agreed nor disagreed, however 34.3% were agreed and 9.0% were strongly agreed that most successful project managers prefer to make consensus team decisions more than objective decisions. This shows that the respondents were of mixed opinion and so the answer to this question could not be identified based on majority. Therefore it was not clear if the most successful project managers prefer to make consensus team decisions more or objective decisions more.

Table 4.12

In question 13, the responding project managers were requested to express the extent to which they agree or disagree that most successful project managers prefer to freeze the scope more than leaving it open for additional requirements. The results given below in table 4.13 depicted that 0.0% of the project managers were strongly disagreed, and 10.4% disagreed with the statement. While 22.4% were neither agreed nor disagreed, however, 37.3% were agreed and 29.9% were strongly agreed that most successful project managers prefer to freeze the scope more than leave it open for additional requirements. This shows the majority of the project managers were of the opinion that most successful project managers prefer to freeze the scope more than leave it open for additional requirements.

Table 4.13

In subsequent question (question 14), the responding project managers were requested to express the extent to which they agree or disagree that most successful project managers prefer to respect deadlines more than adapt them to new circumstances. The results given below in table 4.14 depicted that 0.0% of the project managers were strongly disagreed, and 16.2% disagreed with the statement. While 17.6% were neither agreed nor disagreed, however, 52.9% were agreed and 13.2% were strongly agreed that most successful project managers prefer to respect deadlines more than adapt to new circumstances. This indicates the majority of the project managers were of the opinion that most successful project managers stick to the deadlines and complete the project within the pre-decided deadlines rather than extend the deadline later if circumstances changes.

Table 4.14

The next question (question 15), was focused to find the extent to which the responding project managers were agreed or disagreed, that most successful project managers show fairness. The results given below in table 4.15 are evident that 2.9% of the project managers were strongly disagreed, and 10.3% disagreed with the statement. While 14.7% were neither agreed nor disagreed, however, 47.1% were agreed and 25.0% were strongly agreed that most successful project managers show fairness. This indicates the majority of the project managers were of the opinion that most successful project managers show fairness.

Table 4.15

In question 16 the responding project managers were requested to express the extent to which they were agreed or disagreed that the most successful project managers show empathy. The results given below in table 4.16 indicate that 3.1% of the project managers were strongly disagreed, and 9.2% were disagreed with the statement of the question. While 32.3% were neither agreed nor disagreed, however 46.2% were agreed and 9.2% were strongly agreed that the most successful project managers show empathy. This shows that most successful project managers show empathy.

Table 4.16

Subsequently, in question 17, the responding project managers were asked to express the extent to which they were agreed or disagreed, that successful project managers require their subordinates to strictly follow the existing structures for the performance of tasks. The results given below in table 4.17 are evident that 2.9% of the project managers were strongly disagreed, and 27.9% have disagreed with the statement. While 20.6% were neither agreed nor disagreed, however, 44.1% were agreed and 4.4% were strongly agreed that successful project managers require their subordinates to strictly follow the existing structures for the performance of tasks. This shows that in the opinion of the majority of the project managers successful, project managers require their subordinates to strictly follow the existing structures for the performance of tasks.

Table 4.17

in question 18, the responding project managers were requested to express the extent to which they were agreed or disagreed, that successful project managers only provide guidance. The results given below in table 4.18 shows that 20.6% of the project managers were strongly disagreed, and 45.6% disagreed with the statement. While 14.7% were neither agreed nor disagreed, however, 16.2% were agreed and only 2.9% were strongly agreed that successful project managers only provide guidance. This indicates that the majority of the project managers were not of the opinion that successful project managers only provide guidance. Therefore it is inferred that successful project managers not just provide guidance to the subordinates or team members but lead them and provide help to ensure successful completion of projects.

Table 4.18

Furthermore, in question 19, the responding project managers were asked to express the extent to which they were agreed or disagreed, that successful project managers provide maximum freedom regarding task completion to the subordinates. The results given below in table 4.19 reflect that 10.4% of the project managers were strongly disagreed, and 29.9% disagreed with the statement. While 20.9% were neither agreed nor disagreed, however, 35.8% were agreed and 3.0% were strongly agreed that successful project managers provide maximum freedom regarding task completion to the subordinates. This shows that the responding project managers were of mixed opinions and so it was not possible to identify if successful project managers provide maximum freedom regarding task completion to the subordinate or not.

Table 4.19

Afterwards in question 20, the responding porject managers were requested to express the extent to which they agree or disagree, that successful project managers delegate decision making power to the subordinates. The results given below in table 4.20 are evident that 4.5% of the project managers were strongly disagreed, and 21.2% were disagreed with the statement. While 21.2% were neither agreed nor disagreed. However 47.0% were agreed and 6.1% were strongly agreed that successful project managers successful project managers delegate decision making power to the subordinates. This indicates that majority of the project managers were of the opinion that successful project managers delegate decision making power to the subordinates.

Table 4.20

Question 21 was focused to identify the extent to which the project managers were agreed or disagreed that the successful project managers empower the subordinates. It was evident based on the results given below in table 4.21 that 0.0% of the respondent project managers were strongly disagreed, and 4.4% disagreed with the statement of the question. While 4.4% were neither agreed nor disagreed, however, 57.4% were agreed and 33.8% were strongly agreed that successful project managers empower the subordinates. This indicates that in view of the majority of the respondents the successful project managers empower their subordinates.

Table 4.21

Question 22 was focused to identify the extent to which the project managers were agreed or disagreed that successful project managers elevate the interests of subordinates. It was found based on the results given below in table 4.22 that 0.0% of the respondent project managers were strongly disagreed, and 3.0% disagreed with the statement of the question. While 13.4% were neither agreed nor disagreed, however, 58.2% were agreed and 25.4% were strongly agreed that successful project managers elevate the interests of subordinates. Therefore in view of the majority of the project managers, successful project managers elevate the interests of their subordinates.

Table 4.22

The next question (question 23) was focused to identify the extent to which the project managers were agreed that successful project managers require to have good communication. The results given below in table 4.23 indicated that 0.0% of the respondent project managers were strongly disagreed, and 1.6% disagreed with the statement of the question. While 1.6% were neither agreed nor disagreed, however, 25.0% were agreed and 71.9% were strongly agreed that successful project managers require to have good communication. Therefore in view of the majority of the project managers the successful project managers have good communication skills.

Table 4.23

In question 24 the respondent project managers were asked to express the extent to which they were agreed or disagreed that the successful project managers must have interpersonal skills. The results given below in table 4.24 reflected that 2.9% of the respondent project managers were strongly disagreed, and 0.0% disagreed with the statement of the question. While 1.4% were neither agreed nor disagreed, however, 29.0% were agreed and 66.7% were strongly agreed that successful project managers require having interpersonal skills. Therefore, the majority of the project managers were of the opinion that successful project managers have good interpersonal skills.

Table 4.24

Conclusion

From the results of frequency distribution analysis, the transformational leadership style was found to be the best leadership style of successful project managers because, it enables successful completion of projects within a specific time period, stipulated budget and in the most effective manner. The findings of Yang, Huang, and Wu (2011) had found a similar finding as they had also suggested that the transformational leadership style is most appropriate to use for project managers. However findings of this study are based on a small sample, therefore, it does not provide absolute proof. Additionally based on this study situational leadership style was found to be the best leadership style in terms of managing unexpected situations, therefore when unexpected situations are expected in projects then it is best to use situational leadership style. This finding supports the findings of DiMarco, Goodson, and Houser (1989) as they had also found concluded that for successful project management it is necessary for project managers to select such a leadership style which is according to the environment and circumstance of a given project.

Moreover, the results of this present study also suggested that a leadership style based on emotional intelligence is the best in terms of communication and interpersonal skills necessary for project management. It is because able such leaders can understand, express and address their own emotions and that of their subordinates therefore such leaders are able to have good communication and interpersonal skills. This finding supports the findings of Brown and Moshavi (2005), Murugesan (2012) and Jiang (2014). Amongst the four-studied leadership style (namely; transformational leadership style, situational leadership style, laissez-faire leadership style, and emotional intelligence leadership style) the transformational leadership style was found to be the best leadership style of successful project managers.

Besides, based on the results of this study the successful project managers were found to have the following qualities/attributes for successful project management; logical decision making rather than emotional, more sociable than reserved, prefer structured organization more than a flexible organization, prefer to have control than flexibility, prefer to freeze the scope more than leaving it open for additional requirements, stick to the deadlines and complete the project within the pre-decided deadlines rather than extended the deadline later if circumstances changes, show fairness, show empathy, strictly follow the existing structures for the performance of tasks, not just provide guidance to the subordinates or team members but leads them and provide help to ensure successful completion of projects, delegate decision making power to the subordinates, empower their subordinates, elevate the interests of their subordinates, have good communication skills and interpersonal skills. The findings of Montequina et al. (2015), Murugesan (2012), Hagberg (2006), Pandya (2014), Zakaria, Mohamed, Ahzahar, and Hashim (2015), and Clark (2004) support these findings. It is because Montequina et al. (2015) had found successful project managers to be; sociable, firm people, show fairness, respect deadlines, logical and objective decision making, prefer control, Murugesan (2012) and Zakaria, Mohamed, Ahzahar, & Hashim (2015) found successful project managers to have good communication skills, while Hagberg (2006) found successful project managers to have flexibility and ability to delegate, however, Pandya (2014) found successful project managers to have the flexibility and interpersonal skills, and Clark (2004) successful project managers to have delegation and open communication.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Introduction

In this section conclusions are drawn regarding the research findings while addressing the aim, research objectives and research questions of this study. There were two research questions which were answered in this research based on frequency distribution analysis of the surveyed data. The two research questions are answered separately in the two sub-sections 5.3 and 5.4 respectively given below in this section. Besides the reviewed literature is also compared and contrasted with the conclusions from the research questions to conclude if the present study validates or contradicts with the present literature. Moreover, based on the findings of this study recommendations are made regarding policy implications in project management and scope for empirical research in future.

General Conclusions

The research aims of determining the best leadership style for successful project management was successfully addressed upon completion of this study. Amongst the four-studied leadership style (namely; transformational leadership style, situational leadership style, laissez-faire leadership style, and emotional intelligence leadership style) the transformational leadership style was found to be the best leadership style for successful project management and can be used by all project managers. It was due to the fact that the transformational leadership style enables successful completion of projects in the most effective manner within a specific time period and stipulated budget. However, it was concluded that when unexpected situations are expected in projects then it is best to use situational leadership style for project management because situational leadership style enables the project managers to select such a leadership style which is according to the requirements and circumstances of a given project. In view of this, the best leadership style for successful project management or of successful project managers would depend upon the requirements and circumstances of a project and so it would vary with changing requirements and circumstances of projects. Therefore, it is hard to suggest one leadership style which can prove best for a variety of projects. Nevertheless, it is concluded that the transformational leadership style is the main leadership style of project managers as it is best suited for the successful completion of projects within the target period and under the stipulated budget.

Conclusions for Research Question 1

The first research question of this study was focused to identify the main leadership attributes and leadership styles adopted by successful project managers and under what circumstances are these styles most preferred. There were three pasts of this question; the first part was related to identifying the leadership attributes adopted by the successful project managers, the second part was related to identifying the leadership style(s) adopted by the successful project managers, and the third part was related to identifying under what circumstances this leadership style (s) are most preferred.

Based on the research findings the successful project managers adopt the following leadership attributes/qualities; logical decision making, fairness, empathy, sociability, delegate power to subordinates, empower subordinates, elevate the interests of their subordinates, good communication skills, interpersonal skills, prefer structured organization and existing structures for the performance of tasks, prefer control, prefer to freeze the scope of projects, stick to the deadlines and complete the project within the pre-decided deadlines rather than extended the deadline later if circumstances changes. Similar findings were also suggested by previous studies, namely; Montequina et al. (2015), Zakaria, Mohamed, Ahzahar, and Hashim (2015), Pandya (2014), Murugesan (2012), Hagberg (2006), and Clark (2004) as they have found successful project managers to have similar attributes/qualities.

Regarding the leadership style(s) which is adopted by the successful project managers, the transformational leadership style was identified as the best leadership style for successful project management and can be used by all project managers. It was due to the fact that the transformational leadership style enables successful completion of projects in the most effective manner within a specific time period and stipulated budget. This finding validates the findings of Yang, Huang, and Wu (2011) as they had also suggested that the transformational leadership style is most appropriate to use for project managers.

Moreover, regarding the circumstances under which different leadership styles are most preferred were also identified in this study. In this regards the research concludes that in situations where completion of projects are required within a specific time period and stipulated budget than under such circumstances transformational leadership style is most preferred to use.

While in projects where unexpected situations are expected then under such circumstances situational leadership style is most preferred for project management as it enables the project managers to adopt such a leadership style which will be in accordance with the requirements and circumstance of a given project. This finding supports the findings of DiMarco, Goodson, and Houser (1989) as they had also suggested that for successful project management it is necessary to use situational leadership style as it allows selection of such a leadership style which is according to the environment and circumstance of a given project.

However, in situations where communication and interpersonal skills are necessary for project management and the project managers must be able to understand, express and address their self emotions and that of their subordinates, then under such circumstances leadership style based on emotional intelligence is the most preferred to use. This finding supports the findings of Brown and Moshavi (2005), Murugesan (2012) and Jiang (2014).

Conclusions for Research Question 2

The second research question of this study was focused to identify the one leadership style or set of leadership attributes that can be considered as most effective and used across all projects. In this regard, it is concluded that the transformational leadership style can be the one leadership style that can be considered as most effective as it enables successful completion of projects in the most effective manner within a specific time period and stipulated budget. However, it is difficult to conclude which of the leadership styles can be used across all projects because the different project has different requirements and circumstance due to which a leadership style which is most effective for one type of project may not be most effective for the other type of project.

In view of this, the situational leadership style can be regarded as the one leadership style which can be considered as most effective and used across all projects. It is because by using situational leadership style it is possible for the project managers to select different leadership styles for different projects, where the selection of leadership styles will be in accordance with the requirements and circumstances of each project. For instance, if a project requires the project manager to have good communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to understand, express and address their self emotions and that of their subordinates then in such type of project it is most preferred to use leadership style based on emotional intelligence.

Moreover the leadership attributes/qualities which were concluded as most effective for project management and can be used across all projects are; logical decision making, fairness, empathy, sociability, delegate power to subordinates, empower subordinates, elevate the interests of their subordinates, good communication skills, interpersonal skills, prefer structured organization and existing structures for the performance of tasks, prefer control, prefer to freeze the scope of projects, stick to the deadlines and complete the project within the pre-decided deadlines rather than extended the deadline later if circumstances changes. For effective project management, it is necessary that these leadership attributes are adopted by the project managers. These leadership attributes are necessary for effective project management irrespective of the type or requirements of projects and so can be adopted by project managers across all projects.

Conclusions of the Research Process

The research process which was used in this study was based on analysis of the survey questionnaire (quantitative data). The survey data were analyzed using frequency distribution analysis where the most repeated answer choices were identified to indicate the view of the majority of the respondents. The survey data was collected and frequency distribution analysis was conducted over the Survey Monkey website. The quantitative data collection method (survey) was appropriate for this research as it enabled the researcher to address all the research questions of this study. Moreover, based on the frequency distribution analysis the best leadership style for project management as well as the leadership attributes of successful project managers was identified. To complete this study the researcher had a limited budget and time and so it was appropriate to use quantitative research based on the online survey as this method allowed the collection of data from a number of respondents with limited time and cost. Therefore, in conclusion, the research process proved sufficient in addressing the aim and objectives of this study within the available resources.

Recommendations

The recommendations regarding the policy implications and scope for future research are made in this section. It was concluded that the transformational leadership style is best suited for the successful completion of projects within the target period and under the stipulated budget. Therefore, it is recommended for the project managers of SMEs and large-scale enterprises in the Middle East region to employ a transformational leadership style to complete projects successfully within the target period and under the stipulated budget. This means that by using a transformational leadership style the project managers would be able to complete the project effectively within the deadlines and without incurring extra costs. However, when unexpected situations are expected in projects then it is recommended to use situational leadership as it enables the project managers to adopt a leadership style in accordance with the requirements and circumstances of each project. Moreover, the project managers are recommended to adopt the following attributes necessary for successful project management by the SMEs and large-scale enterprises in the Middle East region, namely; logical decision making, fairness, empathy, sociability, delegate power to subordinates, empowering subordinates, elevate the interests of their subordinates, good communication skills, interpersonal skills, prefer structured organization and existing structures for the performance of tasks, prefer control, prefer to freeze the scope of projects, stick to the deadlines and complete the project within the pre-decided deadlines rather than extended the deadline later if circumstances changes.

Limitations

There were some limiting factors that have been encountered during the course of this study. Reviewing the past literature had proved challenging as the findings of this study are partly reliant on the research conducted by other researchers. The questionnaire which was used for data collection was developed on the basis of reviewed literature therefore if the researcher had failed to review any useful piece of literature then it is possible that the questionnaire is not appropriate and hence would be ineffective in fulfilling the objectives of this study. Moreover, as the results of this study depend upon the quantitative information which the participants had provided, this had proved to be a considerable limitation for this study. It is because if the participants had not provided factual information then the results would not bring actual findings regarding the best leadership style of successful project managers.

Another limitation of this study is related to the time frame as many of the literature resources such as leadership styles were relatively old and so reviewing that literature may not be appropriate due to difference of time frame. Moreover, for completing this research limited time of three months were available, therefore it was necessary to complete the entire research in the available time period, and this had posed another limitation to this study.

Future Research

Besides regarding the future research the following recommendations are made. The sample size in this study was limited to 74 respondents (project managers) therefore for future research it is recommended to have a larger sample size. In this study, the research was based on only quantitative data, as qualitative data was not collected therefore to improve research findings in future research the qualitative data could also be employed along with quantitative data (interview) to triangulate findings from different research methods. It was a major limitation of this study that the survey (quantitative) data were analyzed using frequency distribution analysis therefore in future research inferential statistical analysis such as; Multiple Regression and Correlation Analysis is recommended to employ to validate the findings of this study by testing the impact and relationship of the studied leadership styles on successful project management.

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Appendix 1 – Questionnaire

Transformational leadership style: It is a leadership style where the leader as being a mentor works along with his followers, while leading them by example he motivates and encourages them to achieve some positive change and self-development by which the followers will be transformed into future leaders.

Situational leadership style: It is a leadership style where the leader manages and leads his/her followers by adapting and adjusting his style to fit the needs of the followers and the situation.

Laisse-faire leadership style: It is a leadership style where a leader delegates the authority to his/her followers and gives them liberty to make their own decision and make work.

Emotional intelligence leadership style: It is a leadership style where a leader leads the followers while managing and considering their emotions.

Put (ü) before the answer choices to express your selection

Please express the extent to which you agree or disagree to the following. Where; 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree; 3 = neither agree nor disagree; 4 = agree; 5=strongly agree).

Appendix 2 – Ethical Approval for Dissertation

Appendix 3 – Participant information sheet

Appendix 5 – Pie Charts

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