The influence of leadership competencies on the outcome of tendering projects

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the leadership competencies that most strongly influence the outcome of bidding/tendering projects and how networks and interactions impact the bidding process. Bidding for new work is a critical business activity to ensure organisational sustainability and ongoing viability where large amounts of money can be spent with often uncertain outcomes. A qualitative social constructivist approach was selected as it provides an understanding of the bidding environment by interviewing project team members about their experiences which formed the basis of the research data. Actor-Network Theory (ANT) has been used as the principal lens to examine the efficacy and durability of networks and interactions within the tendering project which, from an extensive review of literature, appears not to have been used to research bidding projects. Findings identify bid leaders with competencies to garner high levels of trust with key organisation stakeholders and the project team regularly achieve a positive tender outcome. Using the ANT framework showed leadership could be held by more than one person. When this role was shared with competencies determining the activities each actor undertook achieved a higher likelihood of a positive tender outcome. Spatial engagement is identified as a critical actor with findings showing bidding teams working in close proximity have a higher chance of positive tender outcome. The thesis provides practical benefits and significant value to business by identifying the appropriate combination of bid leadership competencies required for organisations to increase their chance of achieving a successful tender outcome and add value to their business. Using ANT provides the framework to highlight critical actors, networks and associations when appointing bid leaders and enables organisations to learn and have a positive outcome from their bidding experiences. The thesis contributes to the body of knowledge by identifying those leadership competencies that influence the outcome of tenders which are a distinct and significant type of project-based business activity. The research extends the scope of ANT into semi-permanent bidding projects to highlight competencies, interactions and networks that can influence and maximise the opportunity of a successful outcome in an area that is critical to business.