Transcendent Leadership for Sustainable Construction Project Management in China and India

Abstract

China and India have achieved spectacular economic growth. However, the process has not always been free from problems. The drivers for growth appear to be mainly short-term economic advantage, and business models used have resulted in a significant imbalance between economic outcomes, societal aspirations, and protection of the environment. In the construction sector, there have been high failure rates in critical success factors such as cost, quality, and time objectives. In addition, the technology used to achieve economic growth is highly polluting, and sharing of prosperity within society remains non-egaliterian. The governments and industries have embarked upon painful mega-reforms to improve existing processes but with mixed results. This chapter contributes to the reform of strategy and processes through an evolution in leadership capacity for responsible management in the context of infrastructure (engineering) construction projects. Engineering projects are often large, heterogeneous but critically important for the well-being of the community. In both China and India, university-educated engineers and other professionals (practitioners) provide bulk of the leadership in project management of construction projects. This chapter reviews multidisciplinary literature for development of practitioners’ capacities in the context of fast-changing challenges and opportunities, and contributes flexible and new holistic leadership frameworks for sustainable construction project management (SCPM) for triple bottom line sustainability in profitability, people, and the environment. Engineering projects are unique and practitioners have individualized leadership styles. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. Chapter focuses on practitioners’ personality development and explores flexible leadership frameworks for leaders’ intrinsic capacities or “leadership of self” to effectively transcend challenge for SCPM. The metaphor ‘transcendent leadership’ (TL) is used for this concept. The chapter provides insights and guidance for practitioners to adapt their leadership styles for SCPM. Research methodology is extensive review of multidisciplinary literature for key aspects from transcendental, transformational, and transactional groups of leadership theories, as well as ancient philosophy and spirituality for TL capacities across and within multiple levels of engineering projects. Success with TL is expected to create an exemplary model of change and inspire adaptation by other sectors, not only in the giant economies of China and India but also elsewhere in Asia. TL is not a myth; rather it represents the future trend of project management. However, leadership is a part of overall organizational systems. To be successful, TL needs support of firm-level governance, leadership infrastructure including learning and education, and organizational culture.