Efficacy Beliefs, Empowering Leadership, and Project Success in Public Research Centers: An Italian–Polish Study

Abstract

In the world of university research, although the figure of project manager is not formally foreseen, the principal researcher (PR) is, at many times, the last responsible the project results, schedule, and cost. The study aimed to investigate, in the light of the literature and through a cross-cultural study conducted in Italy and Poland, the relationship between soft skills (empowering leadership style, self-efficacy beliefs, and collective efficacy) of the principal researcher (PR) and the perceived success of research projects and satisfaction with the project, taking into account cross-cultural differences. A total of 67 PRs of complex projects in public universities (28 in Italy and 39 in Poland) participated in the study, completing a self-report questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and correlational analyses. The results showed a significantly higher mean value for team management self-efficacy in a Polish sample and a higher satisfaction with projects in Italian sample. All the soft skills included in the study were related to project success and satisfaction with the project. The results could be used to identify possible ways of intervention to establish a more mature project culture in public research organizations.

Comparing Single-Item and Multi-Item Trust Scales: Insights for Assessing Trust in Project Leaders

“…Three decades ago, it was argued that the use of an SI as a measure is contingent upon how unambiguous and concrete the construct is to the respondent [21]. Later, several researchers offered evidence of similar predictive validity of an SI predictor when compared to an MI scale [11,22,23].…”

Empowering leadership and job satisfaction of academic staff in Palestinian universities: Implications of leader-member exchange and trust in leader

“…Empowering leadership (hereafter EL) distinguishes itself from other leadership styles, such as transactional, transformational, and inclusive ( Bolin, 1989 ; Amundsen and Martinsen, 2015 ; Capaldo et al, 2021 ). Empowering leaders tend to delegate tasks among their followers, include and involve them in decision-making processes, provide support, and increase job autonomy particularly in an academic setting, which can motivate teachers along other positive outcomes (i.e., job satisfaction; Wang and Yang, 2021 ).…”