Understanding the Impact of Transformational Leadership on Project Success: A Meta-Analysis Perspective.

Na Zhao,Yun Chen,Dongjiao Fan,Huihua Chen

doi:10.1155/2021/7517791

Abstract

This paper aims to systematically analyze the reasons for the differences in the relationship between transformational leadership (TL) and project success and apply meta-analysis to summarize which dimensions of TL are the main driving forces for project success. Adopting the meta-analysis approach, we investigated 31 independent studies (N = 6475) and studied the theoretical moderators of this relationship from the perspectives of mediating variables, cultural background, and document type to test whether the moderating effects can explain the inconsistent research results. The results reveal that TL positively affects project success and leadership charm is the primary driver of TL. Also, the existence of a mediating mechanism has a more significant impact on the success of the leading project. Meanwhile, compared with project construction under the Western cultural background, countries with Eastern culture are more inclined to use a people-oriented philosophy for project management to promote project success. This research provides an empirical perspective to help project leaders select management talents, regulate leaders' words and deeds, and cultivate technical and soft leadership skills. Besides, this paper proposes a unique and nuanced view of the relationship between TL and project success, enhancing people's understanding of the TL's role in influencing project success.

Highlights

“Construction Industry 4.0,” as a part of “Industry 4.0,” is a specific application under the subdivision of the construction industry
Many studies have shown that even with the increasing level of technology and management associated with project construction, the level of project success has not improved significantly due to the increasing complexity and uncertainty of the construction environment
Hassan et al [47] saw that leaders apply their skills and abilities to contribute to the success of construction projects in Pakistan in project management. us, based on the existing literature, this study proposed the following hypothesis: H3: the existence of mediating variables moderates the relationship between transformational leadership (TL) and project success

Summary

Introduction

“Construction Industry 4.0,” as a part of “Industry 4.0,” is a specific application under the subdivision of the construction industry. Erefore, it is necessary to change the project organization to achieve a higher level of sustainable project success. Erefore, both subordinates and superiors of the project believe that leaders with a transformational style are more productive and suitable for project managers [9]. Zhang et al [12] summarized the recent research results of some scholars and believed that TL plays a vital role in project success or failure. Odusami et al [14] conducted research to suggest a remarkable correlation between project managers’ professional level, leadership style, team composition, and project success. Erefore, this paper intends to adopt a meta-analysis method through the comprehensive reanalysis of different individual research results to examine the overall effect of TL and other dimensions of TL on project success.

Methods

Results

Conclusion