Toor, S U R and Ogunlana, S (2009) Ineffective leadership: Investigating the negative attributes of leaders and organizational neutralizers. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 16(3), pp. 254-272. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose - A large portion of the extant literature on leadership focuses only on the positive traits of leaders. However, the so-called "dark side of leadership", or negative personal traits of leaders, has received relatively less attention. Also, in practice, leadership is mostly evaluated in terms of the positive traits and strengths of leaders, even though certain organizational factors and followers' characteristics significantly contribute to the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of leaders. This paper aims to examine the negative personal attributes and organizational factors - termed "organizational neutralizers" - that impede the leadership effectiveness of project managers on construction projects. Design/methodology/ approach - To achieve the research objectives, questionnaire surveys and interviews are conducted on a large construction project in Thailand. In total, 78 questionnaires and 35 interviews are conducted with project managers, deputy project managers, and other senior managers working for various stakeholders involved in the construction of the Second Bangkok International Airport (SBIA). Findings - Findings reveal that wrongful use of power, poor communication, and low experience are the leading negative personal factors which make project leaders appear incompetent and ineffective in the workplace. Also, organizational factors that hinder the leadership performance of project managers include: lack of resources, lack of planning and control, lack of synergy between performance and goals, and lack of higher management support. Practical implications - Practical implications are discussed for the selection and development of project managers and project staff, personnel performance management, and improvements in organizational culture, strategy, and approach towards project management. Original/value - The research findings presented here show that certain negative attributes of leaders and organizational factors can impede leadership effectiveness and performance. A number of possible directions are proposed in which future research can be directed to explore what hinders project managers from performing their leadership roles more effectively in construction projects.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction industry; leadership; organizational culture; personality; Thailand |
| Index terms: | Thailand, effectiveness, synergy, project management, construction industry, project manager, performance management, organizational factor, personality, questionnaire, construction project, leadership role, methodology, organizational culture, large construction project, personnel, interview, manager, survey, strategy |
| Subjects: | partnership management, sociology, leadership, industry analysis, behavioral psychology, management, performance measurement, research methods, performance management, production management, Geography, organizational theory, project management theory and practice, data collection methods, profession, business, practitioner |
| Topics: | Quality Management, Human Resources, Organizational Design, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Project Management, Roles and Professions, Stakeholder Management |
| 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