Understanding the Relationship of Leadership Skills in the Pre-Construction Phase With the Success of Sustainable Construction Projects

Abstract

Since the construction industry has been focused on sustainable construction projects presently, the roles of project manager as a leader have become more complex as they have to balance various stakeholders' interests to create sustainability approach mainly in the pre-construction phase. This study aims to investigate the relationship of leadership skills of project managers in the pre-construction phase with the success of sustainable construction projects. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) technique was used to analyse data collected from a questionnaire survey of 153 project managers with experience managing Malaysian sustainable construction projects. The findings imply that communication skills, planning and goal setting skills, team building skills, and conflict management skills in the pre-construction phase have a significant relationship with the success of sustainable construction projects. This study has a theoretical implication that can assist the project manager and construction organisation to understand better that the leadership skills of a project manager in the pre-construction phase can lead towards the success of sustainable construction projects. The findings of this study may be useful for the project manager and construction organisations to deliver a successful sustainable construction project.