The identification of temporary horizontal leaders in projects: The case of China

Müller, Ralf; Zhu, Fei; Sun, Xiaoqian; Wang, Linzhuo; Yu, Miao

doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2017.05.011

Cited by 41 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…In both shared and horizontal leadership, the leadership role constantly shifts between team members, based on the crucial expertise needed at different points in time [4,42].…”

Section: The Difference Between Shared and Horizontal Leadershipmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leadership Styles in Projects: Current Trends and Future Opportunities

Pretorius

Steyn

Bond-Barnard

2018

SAJIE

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Currently, many organisations experience challenges as a result of uncertainty, fast-changing environments, globalisation, and increasingly complex work tasks. In order to adapt to these challenges, a shift in leadership style may be needed. Traditionally, leadership has been seen as a vertical relationship (top-down influence). For a number of decades, this vertical leadership model has been the principal one in the leadership field; but lately, shared and balanced leadership have gained importance, especially in the project management literature. This theoretical study highlights some differences between 'leadership' and 'management', and explores current trends in the leadership literature. It especially focuses on vertical, shared, and balanced leadership in project management, and identifies future opportunities for research. OPSOMMING Baie organisasies ervaar vandag uitdagings as gevolg van onsekerheid, vinnig-veranderende omgewings, globalisering, en toenemend komplekse werkstake. 'n Verskuiwing in leierskapstyl mag nodig wees om aan te pas by hierdie uitdagings. Tradisioneel was leierskap gesien as 'n vertikale verhouding (bo-na-onder invloed), en hierdie vertikale leierskapsmodel was die vernaamste een in die leierskapsveld vir baie jare. Gedeelde en gebalanseerde leierskap het onlangs begin om belangrik te word, veral in die projekbestuursliteratuur. Hierdie teoretiese studie bespreek sommige verskille tussen leierskap en bestuur, en ondersoek die onlangse rigtings in die leierskapsliteratuur. Dit fokus veral op vertikale, gedeelde, en gebalanseerde leierskap in projekbestuur, en identifiseer toekomstige geleenthede vir navorsing.

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“…In both shared and horizontal leadership, the leadership role constantly shifts between team members, based on the crucial expertise needed at different points in time [4,42].…”

Section: The Difference Between Shared and Horizontal Leadershipmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leadership Styles in Projects: Current Trends and Future Opportunities

Pretorius

Steyn

Bond-Barnard

2018

SAJIE

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“…Critical Realism also provided the basis for the theoretical framework for balanced leadership and its subsequent empirical validations (e.g. Müller, Zhu, Sun, Wang, & Yu, 2018) and thise present paper takes it further, focusing on leadership styles and decision making when balancing the leadership between vertical and horizontal leadership.…”

Section: How Do Horizontal Leaders Execute Their Leadership Task In Tmentioning

confidence: 97%

Balancing vertical and horizontal leadership in projects

Drouin¹,

Müller

Sankaran

et al. 2018

IJMPB

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The purpose of this paper is twofold: i) to identify how horizontal leaders (within project teams) execute their leadership task in the context of balanced leadership and; ii) to pinpoint scenarios that can occur when horizontal leaders are identified and empowered by the vertical leader (senior or project managers) and a project task is handed over to the horizontal leader to lead. This research is based on the concept of balanced leadership, which conceptualizes leadership as a dynamic, situationdependent transition of leadership authority from a vertical leader (like a project manager) to a horizontal leader (a project team member) and back again, in order to contribute positively to a project's success. Balanced leadership consists of five events (nomination, identification, empowerment, horizontal leadership and its governance, and transition). This paper focuses on the fourth event, and its specific aspect of leadership distribution between horizontal and vertical leader. This event begins when a team member or the team members as a group accepts the empowerment to assume the role of horizontal leader. This article explicitly links the leadership style of the vertical leader based on Frame's leadership styles (1987) and the nature of decisions taken by both the vertical and horizontal leaders to deliver the project. Design/Methodology/Approach The method used for this paper is the qualitative phase of a sequential mixed methods (qualitativequantitative) study. Data was collected through case studies in three different countries, using a maximum variety sampling approach. Data collection was through interviews of vertical leaders (senior leaders who were often sponsors of projects or members of senior management or project managers) and horizontal leaders (team leaders or members) in a variety of industry sectors. Data analysis was done through initial coding and constant comparison to arrive at themes. Thematic analysis was used to gain knowledge about the split of leadership and decision-making authority between the horizontal and vertical leader(s). Comparison tables from case studies conducted in Canada, Scandinavia and Australia allowed the authors to move from a broad reading of the data toward discovering scenarios to balance leadership in the context of project delivery. Findings Our results show that for Canadian and Australian projects, a combination of autocratic and democratic leadership styles were used by vertical leaders. In the case of Scandinavian projects, a democratic leadership style has been observed. Linked to these leadership styles, the horizontal decision-making is predominantly focused on technical decisions and to daily task decisions to deliver the project. Delegation occurs most of the time to one specific team member, but occasionally to several team members simultaneously, for them to work collaboratively on a given issue. Implications The paper supports a deeper investigation into a leadership theory, by validating one particular event of the balanced leadership theory, which ...

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“…Team members take on the leadership role in a project on behalf of the project manager (vertical leader) based on their skills that are needed at a certain point in time [5]. The role of the vertical leader is constantly to maintain horizontal leadership by keeping the general vision and direction, prompting the shift of leadership from vertical leadership to horizontal leadership by involving the team in the quest for solutions, and managing the fairness of the leadership assignments [6].…”

Section: Horizontal Leadershipmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In both shared and horizontal leadership the leadership role is continually transferred between team members, based on the critical skills needed at different points in the project [3], [5].…”

Section: Comparison Of Shared and Horizontal Leadershipmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two major streams have developed: shared leadership, and vertical leadership. The concept of horizontal leadership has been investigated to some extent [3,4,5,6,7]. Traditionally, research has taken a person-centred approach to project leadership by highlighting the role of the project manager in accomplishing project outcomes, while the current focus is more on shared leadership within the project team [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring Project-Related Factors That Influence Leadership Styles and Their Effect on Project Performance: A Conceptual Framework

Pretorius

Steyn

Bond-Barnard

2017

SAJIE

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It is widely accepted that project leaders should adapt their behaviour to meet the unique leadership demands of a variety of situations. Recently, vertical, shared, and horizontal styles of leadership have gained prominence, especially in the project management literature. Several factors are believed to play a role in determining an appropriate balance between these leadership styles. This theoretical study explores the influence of project types, the stage in the project life cycle, organisational project management maturity, and the level of trust and collaboration between project team members on the appropriate balance of leadership styles in projects. This paper presents a conceptual framework of these factors, while empirical results will be reported on in the sequel to this paper. OPSOMMINGDit word wyd aanvaar dat leiers hulle gedrag by spesifieke situasies moet aanpas sodat die unieke leierskapvereistes wat aan hulle gestel word nagekom kan word. Vertikale, gedeelde en horisontale leierskap style is deesdae op die voorgrond, veral in projekbestuur literatuur. Verskeie faktore speel 'n rol in die bepaling van 'n geskikte balans tussen hierdie leierskapstyle. Die faktore sluit in die tipe projek, die stadium in die projeklewensiklus, die projekbestuurvolwassenheid van die organisasie, en die vlak van vertroue en samewerking tussen mense binne die projek. Hierdie artikel stel 'n konseptuele raamwerk van hierdie faktore voor, terwyl empiriese uitslae in 'n opvolgartikel gerapporteer sal word.

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The identification of temporary horizontal leaders in projects: The case of China

Cited by 41 publications

References 31 publications

Leadership Styles in Projects: Current Trends and Future Opportunities

Leadership Styles in Projects: Current Trends and Future Opportunities

Balancing vertical and horizontal leadership in projects

Exploring Project-Related Factors That Influence Leadership Styles and Their Effect on Project Performance: A Conceptual Framework

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