Abstract
Numerous studies exploring the success of construction projects continue to mention leadership incompetence as an integral part of the challenges facing the industry. However, these studies fail to establish the empirical nature of leadership development in the construction industry; thus, the need to develop a framework for construction practitioners to enhance performance in the industry. This study explored and established a comprehensive model for leadership development that would help small and medium-sized (SME) Ghanaian construction enterprises to function optimally.
The primary focus of the study was to model the extent to which exogenous variables (succession planning, emotional intelligence, entrepreneurial, leadership education, information, communication, and technology features) predict leadership development. Based on the theory found from the literature analysis and the results of the Delphi survey, a conceptual, holistic framework for leadership development was developed. In order to verify the conceptual framework, a questionnaire survey was carried out in Ghana. Additionally, structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to conduct an in-depth analysis of the model, the findings of which demonstrated the model's ability to predict leadership development in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI).
The study's findings fell into three main categories. Firstly, the results related to the theory of leadership development studies. The study's findings filled a theoretical gap relating to which variables are most important for predicting leadership development within the construction industry. Further, results revealed that there is a correlation between latent variables and outcome variables that might be used to assess leadership development in the construction industry, lending credence to the premise that this phenomena is multifaceted. The second set of findings related to the Delphi study. The findings from the Delphi study indicated that leadership development is a seven-factor construct with the inclusion of two new variables, namely professional capability and stakeholder participation features. This study has thus shown that there is more than one factor that influences leadership development in the GCI. The last set of results related to the field questionnaire survey. Generally, the findings were that the hypothesis could not be rejected and that the exogenous variables predicted leadership development in the GCI. Moreover, the SEM
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results on the model’s goodness-of-fit and the statistical significance of parameter estimates met the cut-off criteria for the hypothesised model’s fit to the sample data.
The study’s contribution to the body of knowledge is significant because it addresses the lack of theoretical information (historical literature data) about which factors are most significant in predicting leadership development in the construction industry in developing countries. The study recommends that governmental and non-governmental organisations, contractors, and construction industry policymakers should consider the empirically tested constructs as they plan for and implement leadership development and capacity-building programmes designed to enhance the development of construction firms in the GCI. Likewise, the validated conceptual model of construction firms’ leadership development will provide a reference for researchers who may study leadership development in the future.
Keywords: Leadership development, Professional capability, Stakeholder participation, Structural equation modelling.