Zheng, J; Gu, Y; Li, P; Luo, L and Wu, G (2025) Research evolution and thematic breakthroughs in project leadership: A bibliometric analysis. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 32(3), pp. 1970-2002. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: The development of project managers and leadership has been highlighted as crucial for improving project success and performance, resulting in a rise of interest in project leadership research over the last two decades. While several qualitative reviews have been conducted, there have been limited quantitative and systematic reviews on project leadership. This study fills this gap by portraying the knowledge landscape and tracking the evolution of project leadership research from 1998 to 2022 through bibliometric approaches. Design/methodology/approach: Based on 816 records, including 793 articles extracted and selected from the Web of Science database and specific journals, and 23 articles selected from three non-SCI/SSCI indexed journals, the authors used CiteSpace and bibliometrix R-package to depict visualizations of the trajectory of co-cited references, the landscape of co-occurred keywords and emerging trends in project leadership via reference co-citation analysis, keyword co-occurrence analysis and thematic mapping. Findings: The bibliometric analyses enabled the authors to understand the conceptual aspects of project leadership and its theoretical background. Three stages of the intellectual bases were identified and tracked: the infancy phase (1998–2007), the growth phase (2008–2014) and the new development phase (2015–2022). The results of keyword co-occurrence analysis indicated that the research focus evolved from investigating traits and competences to examining the effects of traditional leadership behaviors, and then considering context-specific leadership. The findings of thematic mapping and theoretical interpretation illustrate the potential directions of the competence comparison, new and appropriate leadership, and the interaction between leadership and context. Originality/value: This study advanced the field by providing a systematic review of project leadership, developing potential future directions for project leadership research and providing practical implications for career development and training.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | bibliometric review; co-citation analysis; co-occurrence analysis; project leadership; scientific visualization |
| Index terms: | package, interaction, methodology, competence, database, project manager, evolution, science, scientific visualization, project success, visualization, bibliometric analysis, mapping, career, systematic literature review, journal |
| Subjects: | design practice, research evaluation and metrics, spatial and geospatial analysis, research dissemination and communication, project management theory and practice, behavioral psychology, profession, data management, personnel development, contractual arrangements, environmental science, research methods, specialized education, analytical methods, professional development |
| Topics: | Procurement, Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Project Management, Education, Information Management, Design Practice, Sustainability, Digital Applications, Human Resources |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here