Empirical Study of Project Managers Leadership Competence and Project Performance

Abstract

The role of a project manager’s leadership competence in improving project performance is critical. However, little attention has been given to people-related competencies of the project manager as a leader. This study aims to develop and test a model of project manager leadership competence. To investigate the influence of a project manager’s leadership competence on project performance, 289 project managers working on public sector projects in Pakistan were surveyed. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to analyze interrelationships among specific competencies and to explain these competencies in terms of their common underlying dimensions. Hierarchical Regression Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were employed to test research hypotheses and the model. Findings from this study demonstrate that all five leadership competencies of a project manager are significantly related to achievement of project performance in terms of schedule, cost, and quality, as well as stakeholder satisfaction.

Keywords:

• Competence
• Leadership
• Project Manager
• Project Performance

EMJ Focus Areas:

• Leadership; Program & Project Management

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments, feedback, and suggestions. The authors acknowledge the support, motivation, and suggestions provided by the editors and associate editor. Special thanks to the editors for their guidance and support to improve the quality of the manuscript. We are grateful to the respondents for their voluntary participation in the survey.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Riaz Ahmed

Riaz Ahmed is associate professor in the Department of Management Sciences at Bahria University in Islamabad, Pakistan. He earned his PhD from the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Malaysia, with “Best Postgraduate Student Award.” He is a certified project management professional. He has worked in higher education institutions for the last 17 years. He has published a number of articles in Engineering Management Journal, Quality and Quantity, and International Journal of Information Technology Project Management.

Vittal S. Anantatmula

Vittal S. Anantatmula is professor and a program director in the College of Business at Western Carolina University. He has worked in industry for several years as an electrical engineer and project manager. He has more than 50 publications and more than 50 papers in prestigious and international conferences. He holds an Electrical Engineering degree, and MBA and MS degrees. He received the Doctor of Science from George Washington University. He is a certified project management professional.