A hybrid approach for investigating impacts of leadership dynamics on project performance

Abstract

PurposeThis paper proposes a novel hybrid simulation approach that incorporates the structural equation model (SEM) and system dynamics (SD) to investigate the impacts of leadership dynamics on project performance under different scenarios.Design/methodology/approachSEM is used to identify and validate a correlation between leadership variables and project performance statically. On this basis, the SD model is constructed to depict a system model connecting the leadership and project performance. Different scenarios are simulated to dynamically model the variation in leadership on the evolution of project performance.FindingsResults indicate that (1) leadership can be divided into personal ability, relationship atmosphere and organizational strategy in complex construction projects; (2) personal ability, relationship atmosphere and organizational strategy positively correlate with project performance over time; and (3) L1 (stress management ability), L7 (team building) and L17 (institution support) are the leading factors influencing project performance and should be paid more attention under limited resources.Originality/valueThis research contributes to (1) the state of the knowledge by proposing a hybrid methodology that can systematically model the impacts of leadership dynamics on project performance over time and (2) the state of the practice by gaining a better understanding of the strategy of resource distribution for enhancing project performance in complex construction projects.

Application of System Dynamics in Construction Engineering and Management: Content Analysis and Systematic Literature Review

“…Soewin and Chinda [60] developed a dynamics model of construction performance indices to examine and improve these measures in the long term. Luo et al [61] investigated the impact of leadership dynamics on project performance by using SD to simulate the variation of leadership on the evolution of project performance. Tang et al [62] used SD to carry out dynamic performance measurement and simulation of a publicprivate partnership project to construct a unifed project performance measurement indicator system.…”

“…Procedures in methods such as FDEMATEL can be improved by incorporating weights to account for experts' profles and their disparity in capabilities. Te FDEMATEL methods proposed by some researchers [108,132] and the structural equation modelling (SEM) proposed by others [61,141] involve lengthy and more complicated algorithms and may necessitate computer tools or software for a wider audience.…”

Linking empowering leadership to work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior in the construction context: a self-determination perspective

“…However, there is growing evidence in the literature that project leadership is fundamentally responsible for the success of construction projects (Toor and Ofori, 2008; Larsson et al. , 2015; Luo et al. , 2022).…”

“…In this context, a large portion of past studies concentrated on technical aspects and how to effectively meet project deliverables under the triple constraint (time, cost, quality), while the role of humans in projects as critical success factors has been rarely discussed (Imam, 2021). However, there is growing evidence in the literature that project leadership is fundamentally responsible for the success of construction projects (Toor and Ofori, 2008;Larsson et al, 2015;Luo et al, 2022). The leadership literature has identified a series of leadership styles and their possible impacts in the case of general organizations, but the understanding of leadership styles and their impacts is limited at best in the context of temporary project organizations (Raziq et al, 2018).…”

“…From the macro aspect, the increasing construction project scale and scope, and dynamic project environment necessitated an effective leadership paradigm to quickly respond to complex and unexpected situations and decision-making scenarios (Zheng et al. , 2021; Luo et al. , 2022).…”