Project Leadership Functions and the Associated Behaviour for Projects and Project Organisations

Abstract

Individuals and their leadership competencies have been the sole focus of project leadership research, rather than the project leadership’s behaviour and functions in project and organisational settings. As a result, this study investigates the project leadership functions and behaviours required for various project and organisational situations in order to propose a project leadership model that will be effective in all project and organisational situations. The model that was developed and tested in this study theorised about the project leadership function that project leaders are expected to perform as a result of their positions. It also described how project leaders could tailor their leadership functions and behaviours to address issues related to positions, organisational situations, and project situations. Three hypotheses were developed and tested using structural equation modelling to validate the model. The model’s perceptive power demonstrates adequate validity. The model’s validity implies that there are appropriate project leadership functions for different leadership levels and circumstances. The model’s validity also implies that each project leadership behaviour has its own value, as conditions and necessities dictate. The study assumes that a project leader can embrace project leadership by combining a few different project leadership functions and behaviours.