Track: Masters Thesis Competition

Abstract

LEADERSHIP FACTORS INFLUENCING SUCCESSFUL PROJECT DELIVERY: THE CASE OF A SOUTH AFRICAN CIVIL ENGINEERING COMPANY

The construction sector is essential to achieving society's long-term development goals; nevertheless, the shift to sustainability is a time-consuming process that poses a leadership challenge. Construction organizations require a clear vision, strategy, and direction toward the common goal of a sustainable future. The study will follow a quantitative approach and a questionnaire to solicit important information from the respondents. The backdrop of the study, problem statement, research questions, aims of the investigation, and importance of the study will be discussed. The literature on leadership covers several leadership styles and their possible implications on organizational performance and management. Studies have shown that leadership impacts worker performance in the construction industry, impacts project success as mediated by leadership styles and help navigate challenges in the construction industry. The study's aim was to look at the impact of leadership variables on project performance. Leadership traits of factors such as personal integrity, being optimistic, being proactive, having a general business perspective, being emotionally intelligent, being skillful, being a systems thinker, and having good time management skills are positively related to project success. It is important to note that the success of a project manager is not wholly a function of leadership but is influenced by other factors such as the composition of the team, project size, organisational structure, project manager’s characteristics, top management support, and the specific circumstances of the project. Leadership on the other hand has been identified as a key component in the achievement of project success.