Quantifying complexity and competence: Evaluating the impact of transactional and transformational leadership on complex projects
Department of Business Administration, College of Management Sciences, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State Nigeria.
Research Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2024, 22(01), 2074-2082
Publication history:
Received on 26 Januaryr 2024; revised on 22 April 2024; accepted on 29 April 2024
Abstract:
The interplay between project complexity and leadership competence has emerged as a critical area of study, particularly in the context of complex project environments. Although project complexity is widely acknowledged in project management discourse, there remains no single agreed-upon definition, making its practical application challenging. This research explores how project professionals interpret and experience complexity in their projects, employing the MODeST framework to quantify complexity across key dimensions and examine its correlation with leadership style from the transactional and transformational styles.
A quantitative approach underpinned this investigation, structured in two phases. The first phase involved a weighted assessment of recent projects using the MODeST model (Mission, Organisation, Delivery, Stakeholders, and Team). The second phase utilised a Likert-scale survey to evaluate participants’ use of transformational and transactional leadership competencies in those same projects. Participants included practitioners from organisations such as Network Rail, Willmott Dixon, and members of the Association for Project Management (APM), each with recent hands-on project delivery experience.
Findings reveal a measurable association between perceived project complexity and the leadership style adopted. Specifically, the degree and nature of complexity appear to influence whether transformational or transactional leadership behaviours are more prominently applied. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on leadership in complex projects by providing empirical data that links leadership competence to complexity perception, offering practical insights and a foundation for further academic inquiry.
Keywords:
Project Complexity; Modest Framework; Transformational Leadership; Transactional Leadership; Leadership Competencies; Complexity Assessment
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Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0