Toxic Leadership Driven by WB Donor Group (OHS): Implications for Managing a Dam Project in Pakistan

Abstract

This is a research paper that is focused on assessing toxic leadership impacts of a WB Donor group (OHS) on a major Dam construction project in Pakistan. An interpretive methodology was utilised in order to assist in understanding the level, intensity and impact leadership on the project. The scope for this research was the on-site supervisory team. The targeted population of interest was made up of 16 lower-managers/engineers located at one on-site main office during the construction phase of a Dam project. The research outcomes comprised of four 4 main-themes and the corresponding 17 sub-themes, with 259 discussion targets. The research outcome raises substantial issues associated with the toxic leadership of a WB Donor group and addresses these implications that affect the project construction internal/external stakeholder management. The project appears to be run by the WB Donor group through “Munchausen syndrome by proxy” where unprofessional dogma is the focus of the management operations. This is also indicated by the leveraging the management of one project, to provide finance for another project, which is reinforced through toxic leadership.