Project manager skills for improving project performance

Project managers have multifaceted responsibilities that significantly affect project success. Previous research has identified four skills of effective project managers, namely, conceptual, human, political, and technical skills, along with their 16 skill components. The aim of this paper is to determine skill components that influence time, cost, and quality performance in construction projects. Data were collected from 107 project managers using a questionnaire survey method. The analysis results show that interpersonal influence has positive relationship with project time performance. Project cost performance is influenced by four skill components, namely, emotional intelligence, interpersonal skill, apparent sincerity, and budgeting. Lastly, project quality performance is affected by eight skill components, which include visioning, emotional intelligence, interpersonal skill, transformational leadership, interpersonal influence, apparent sincerity, quality management, and document and contract administration. Construction organisations may use the finding as a guideline to appoint project managers with the 'right' skill profile or to focus their human resource development on skills that are important for project success.

[1]  Xianhai Meng,et al.  The effect of relationship management on project performance in construction , 2012 .

[2]  Patrick X.W. Zou,et al.  Political Skill for Developing Construction Safety Climate , 2012 .

[3]  Ping Chen,et al.  Conceptual determinants of construction project management competence: A Chinese perspective , 2008 .

[4]  Bennet P. Lientz,et al.  Project Management for the 21st Century , 1998 .

[5]  Debra L. Nelson,et al.  Gender and Career Success:: The Facilitative Role of Political Skill , 2004 .

[6]  Gerald R. Ferris,et al.  Political skill at work , 2000 .

[7]  Patrick X.W. Zou,et al.  The roles of emotional intelligence, interpersonal skill, and transformational leadership on improving construction safety performance , 2013 .

[8]  G. Prabhakar,et al.  Switch Leadership in Projects an Empirical Study Reflecting the Importance of Transformational Leadership on Project Success across Twenty-Eight Nations , 2005 .

[9]  Sameh M. El-Sayegh,et al.  Significant factors causing delay in the UAE construction industry , 2006 .

[10]  R. L. Katz Skills of an Effective Administrator , 2009 .

[11]  Ari-Pekka Hameri,et al.  Improved project management through improved document management , 2001, Comput. Ind..

[12]  S El-Sabaa,et al.  The skills and career path of an effective project manager , 2001 .

[13]  Robert S. C. Goodwin,et al.  Skills Required of Effective Project Managers , 1993 .

[14]  Andrew R.J. Dainty,et al.  What makes a good project manager , 2005 .

[15]  Ismail Abdul Rahman,et al.  Factors affecting construction cost performance in project management projects: Case of MARA large projects , 2014 .

[16]  B. Bass From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. , 1990 .

[17]  L. Mann,et al.  A Short Measure of Transformational Leadership , 2000 .

[18]  Jeffrey K. Pinto,et al.  Understanding the role of politics in successful project management 1 Portions of this article were , 2000 .

[19]  K. T. Odusami,et al.  Perceptions of Construction Professionals Concerning Important Skills of Effective Project Leaders , 2002 .

[20]  Edward R. Fisk Construction Project Administration , 1978 .

[21]  Andrew Walker,et al.  The Competencies and Characteristics Required of an Effective Project Manager: A Web-Based Delphi Study , 2006 .

[22]  Sharlett Gillard,et al.  The Competencies of Effective Project Managers: A Conceptual Analysis , 2005 .

[23]  Stephen O. Ogunlana,et al.  Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Styles in Construction Project Management , 2007 .

[24]  R. Riggio,et al.  Transformational leadership, 2nd ed. , 2006 .

[25]  D. Parker,et al.  Leadership performance is significant to project success or failure: a critical analysis , 2012 .

[26]  Shakir K. Gushgari,et al.  Skills Critical to Long-Term Profitability of Engineering Firms , 1997 .

[27]  D. Goleman Working with Emotional Intelligence , 1998 .

[28]  Anthony P. Ammeter,et al.  Leader Political Skill and Team Performance , 2004 .

[29]  Mohan M. Kumaraswamy,et al.  Contributors to construction delays , 1998 .

[30]  P. Olomolaiye,et al.  Factors and procedures used in matching project managers to construction projects in Bangkok , 2002 .

[31]  Tim O. Peterson,et al.  The ongoing legacy of R.L. Katz: An updated typology of management skills , 2004 .

[32]  Lisa A. Mainiero On Breaking the Glass Ceiling: The Political Seasoning of Powerful Women Executives , 1994 .

[33]  Sadi Assaf,et al.  Causes of delay in large construction projects , 2006 .

[34]  Hesham A. Bassioni,et al.  Causes of Delay in Building Construction Projects in Egypt , 2008 .

[35]  Martin Skitmore,et al.  Project Management Competencies: A Survey of Perspectives Form Project Managers in South East Queensland , 2004 .

[36]  Andrew R.J. Dainty,et al.  Redefining performance measures for construction project managers: an empirical evaluation , 2003 .

[37]  Charles J. Kacmar,et al.  Development and Validation of the Political Skill Inventory , 2005 .

[38]  Mohammed Al-Khalil,et al.  Delay in public utility projects in Saudi Arabia , 1999 .

[39]  Derek H.T. Walker,et al.  Project understanding, planning, flexibility of management action and construction time performance: two Australian case studies , 2002 .

[40]  Patrick X.W. Zou,et al.  CHPT construct: essential skills for construction project managers , 2011 .

[41]  Lyle M. Spencer,et al.  Competence at Work: Models for Superior Performance , 1993 .

[42]  Alon Peled,et al.  Politicking for success: the missing skill , 2000 .

[43]  G. R. Ferris,et al.  Role of political skill in job performance prediction beyond general mental ability and personality in cross‐sectional and predictive studies. , 2011 .