Relationship between leadership styles and project success in the South Africa construction industry

Adequate leadership is a vital key to the successful performance of any firm or business, and it is much more important to the construction industry. The main objective of this paper is to explore the relationship between different leadership style practices and project success in the South African construction industry. The data used in this research were derived from both primary and secondary sources. The secondary data was collected via a detailed review of related literature. The primary data was collected through a structured questionnaire aimed at 150 project and construction managers in the South African construction industry. However, 110 questionnaires were received representing a 73% response rate. Data from the questionnaire were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 software. Correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between leadership styles and project success. Likewise, the relationship between the different leadership styles and project successes in the South African construction industry was investigated using Pearson Product-moment Correlation Coefficient. Findings from the study revealed that there is a positive relationship between transactional leadership and project success. The results further revealed that there is no relationship between Laissez faire leadership style and construction project success. However, the study explores the relationship between leadership styles and project success in the South African construction industry. The study contributes to the body of knowledge of construction leadership by providing a robust background on construction leadership style practices of project and construction managers. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.