Development of an Innovative Dynamic and Multidimensional Leadership Model in Project Management: A Case Study of the Engineering and Construction Industry

This study attempts to remedy the deficiencies in the extant monolithic and static leadership theories by exploring the dynamic (time-varying) and situational leadership behaviour of project managers for the specific case of the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. The researcher’s philosophical stance is anchored in the constructivist interpretive paradigm; with the adoption of a hybrid inductive and deductive (abductive) research methods. Although the study seeks to unveil emerging leadership patterns through empirical evidence, a conceptual framework was formulated upfront to avoid conducting research in a theoretical vacuum. The framework is underpinned by a set of theories including transformational and transactional leadership, situational leadership, group dynamics, and complexity theory. The research is primarily qualitative; however, it also employed methodological triangulation using quantitative data to validate the trustworthiness of qualitative findings. Data was obtained from a global engineering firm with offices in different geographies. A heterogonous qualitative dataset was collected from 28 senior project managers via purposive criteria-based sampling using semi-structured interviews. The quantitative dataset was randomly collected from a sample of 300 project managers (with circa 43% response rate) using a self-administrated questionnaire survey. Thematic analysis and statistical methods were used to analyse qualitative and quantitative data, respectively. The application of systems thinking thereby treating leadership as a dynamic, process-based, and multidimensional social construct, supported by empirical evidence, enabled the synthesis of four substantive leadership models of practical relevance with recommendations for future research. Therefore, this study makes seminal contribution to literature and practice by assisting project leaders in successfully navigating leadership attitude and styles across the project lifecycle.