Investigating the role of leadership styles and governance on project performance in megaprojects

Abstract

Megaprojects are very large-scale complex ventures that involve multiple stakeholders and influence millions of lives. In the literature, leadership styles and governance have been found to have significant relationship with project performance. However, majority of the research on megaprojects are in the Western contexts. Thereby, the emerging economies in Middle East, which have seen many megaprojects in recent times, provide unique setting to test various theories. Based on the review, a theoretical model relating various leadership styles and governance with project performance is proposed. The proposed model is empirically tested using data from 157 senior managers from megaprojects in Qatar. The results of the study shows a positive relationship between transformational style of leadership and megaproject performance. It also establishes positive relationship between project governance and megaproject performance. However, no relation was found between transactional style and passive style of leadership with megaproject performance. The results of the study provides managers direction to develop mechanisms to facilitate transformational leadership development. Further, top managers need to be proactively involved in the project governance for smooth and successful implementation of organizational strategies leading to megaproject success.