DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS OF PROJECT AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Abstract

The construction industry is one of the major industries in South Africa. Like any other industry, strong leadership is vital for its growth. Moreover in order to stay competitive, South African construction firms must find a way to train their project and construction managers to become competent leaders in their specific disciplines. It is to this end, that the study presents findings on how leaders can be developed in the South African construction industry. The data used in this research were derived from both primary and secondary sources. The secondary data was collected via a detailed review of related literature. The primary data was collected through a structured questionnaire aimed at 150 projects and construction managers in the South African construction industry. From the 150 distributed questions, only 110 questionnaires were received and subsequently data based on the received questionnaire which was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that, education and qualification can help develop leaders in the South African construction industry. This was followed by leadership training courses, taking responsibility, new challenges, and internal motivation, professional and personal development. The study explores leadership and leadership development in the South African construction industry. The study presents a robust background about the construction industry and the importance of leadership.