Research Paper on Leadership Crucial for Success in Construction Industry

Introduction

Leadership is crucial for the success of any business or implementation of particular. The input of the leaders influences the performance and culture of implementation of the organization's projects. The influence of leadership in the construction industry is undisputed as it employs various players in the implementation and successful completion of projects. Players such as designers, owners, constructors, and government agencies are significant in the construction industry (Zhao, Hwang, & Lee, 2016). The presence of many players in the construction process requires advanced and excellent interpersonal skills among the players to realize effective management and implementation of the projects (Jung, Jeong, & Mills, 2014). Conflict of interest may arise among the different players in the construction process and therefore require excellent negotiation skills and conflict resolution to attain streamlined and effective decision making that addresses the goals of the projects.

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Commercial construction projects need harmonization of the various areas of concern through the input of the specific leaders and managers to attain uniformity and enhance the productivity of the teams involved in the project implementation process. The role of management is to present a team that works independently towards a common goal. In this case, the challenge arises in the implementation of the project through multiple groups. A common goal should drive the teams, and therefore, their independent efforts focus on attaining a similar purpose to other groups. The management of various departments works on the common framework that allows the integration of different activities and accomplishes a collective goal. The multidisciplinary nature of the construction industry makes the management functions crucial in deriving the best outcomes from the team and inspire them to higher goals (Kasapoglu, 2017). However, due to the nature of the construction project implementation, the choice of team players is vital as interpersonal skills are essential to the smooth operation of project activities. A project manager is a term used to refer to the project leaders commonly. The role of management of the construction project is tasked with leaders in various activities that define the progress of the project. The degree of management patterns varies according to management levels. The managerial positions commonly referred to as supervisory positions can be classified hierarchically into executives, managers, superintendents, and engineers.

Justification

The multidisciplinary nature of the construction projects encompasses different players in the implementation and successful completion of the project. Failure to coordinate and harmonize that activities of the individual teams can lead to a slowed implementation process or difficulties in the implementation process leading to the collapse of the project. It is essential to derive a practical management approach from the manager of various departments of the construction project. Effective management of the construction project takes into consideration the input of all the managers and the leaders of multiple teams. The role of management is crucial to the success of the construction project.

Research Problem

The integration of the activities of diverse teams involved in the implementation of the construction project is crucial in meeting the expected quality for the construction. The diversity in the teams and the management styles employed by different players in the construction process can create difficulties in the implementation process. In the process driving the construction process, the ideological differences among the managers and the professional diversity can lead to deviations from the goal of the project or derailed implementation process. Decision making can also be impaired and therefore lead to increased conflicts among the teams.

Thesis

The project aims at defining the influence of management styles used by various leaders in construction projects to realize a common goal and improve the productivity of the project implementation process.

Research Tool

A qualitative research tool will be used based on surveys, interviews, questionnaires and descriptive review of data obtained. The demographics of the sample population and their response on management styles, data assimilation for qualification and provision of a framework for data and result evaluation.

Overview of Construction Project Management

Management is perceived as an essential part of the coordination and harmonizing the activities of the construction project. In this case, leadership is tasked with the implementation of the guidelines of the project. This chapter hints at the importance of leadership in the process of project management, the organization of design and construction process, and the evaluation of construction projects as a multidisciplinary program that incorporates various stakeholders. Design and construction are essential parts of the construction industry but deal in different aspects to meet the organizational framework expected. According to Doloi (2012), observing the leadership behavior across the construction industry is crucial in determining the efficiency of the management process. Respective departments are analyzed, and the eventual impact on the management of the construction projects is reflected in determining the role of management in ensuring the smooth operation of construction projects.

The performance of an organization is attributed to the leadership role in the implementation of the strategies of the organization. It can be argued that leadership is a key factor in the success or failure of a project. The success of a project can be determined by the incorporation of the economic, social, and political aspects of the project. The management of various projects communicates the goals of the project, which mainly utilizes the interpersonal skills to tap and integrate relevant teams that meet the personnel for the implementation process. The nature of construction is dynamic, yielding to technological, innovation, and random change. The change in the construction industry makes it necessary to keep up with the pace and the transition in the industry. The industry has experienced rapid change in the workload, corporate structure, workforce, and introduction of new entities in construction design, calling for efficiency in the management to allow swift adoption of the changes. Various researches have targeted the incorporation of several technologies in the construction industry to streamline the operations and improve the quality of production. Technology in the construction industry has also targeted the estimation process and enhancement of management efficiency. The impact of the emerging technologies in the construction industry is critical and can lead to the thriving or failure of the project.

A limited number of researches have based on the leadership styles of the project managers and the superintendents on meeting the construction goal of the project. The success of a construction project can be influenced by factors such as the time, quality and cost of the project. The duration of project implementation is crucial in the evaluation of the successful progress of the project. According to Muller and Turner (2017), the time and quality need to work in line with the project's timeline and the resources for the implementation. Adherence to the budget, schedule, and quality of the construction project are strictly embraced through the influence of the project's management team and the workforce. According to Novo, Landis, and Haley (2017), the ease of adoption of new policies and keeping up with the market inventions is fostered by the ability of the management to lead the task force in the right direction. The adoption of a project and focus on its quality and the timeframe of operation is subject to conflicting perceptions from the clients, the contractor, and the team or project manager. The role of the manager is to motivate the team and quip a sense of direction towards the success of the organization. Therefore, it is the duty of the project manager or the superintendent to motivate and instill a sense of direction to the team to drive the goal of the project.

The significance of management in the construction industry is based on the idea that construction projects are based on the contribution of different teams. In this case, roles such as construction manager, design manager, procurement manager, project manager, and project managers need to work in line with each other to attain the goals of the project. The effectiveness of team participation in the implementation of the construction project is determined by conformity in managers' practices. The management process, therefore, takes into account the impact of each team towards the project's objective. Teamwork is paramount in the construction industry, calling for the construction teams to work together to especially towards the projects practically (Doloi, 2012). In this light, a construction team comprises of construction professionals from various disciplines and organizations. The issue of integrating the contribution of each team becomes an essential factor in the implementation of the aligned projects. The role of management is ensuring the design and construction fit accordingly to realize the expected results. Design evaluates the shape, organization of the spaces, and the size of the building with relations to nature and the construction requirements. Construction deals with the process of production, which affects the design outline and provisions. The risk of miscommunication or failure of the systems from working together can arise, leading to project failure or delayed execution.

Various management approaches can be deployed to enhance collaboration among the teams and adherence to the construction framework. Leadership approaches are deployed based on the target team and the reaction of the teams to specific goals. Autocratic and free-rein leadership styles are extreme approaches as they focus on the manager or the subordinates, respectively. A participatory leadership approach is used where the management and the subordinates participate in the implementation process. There is a need for an effective management system is significant for a construction project. Effective managers need to portray good leadership qualities. The project manager, along with the project superintendent, influence the project entities performed by the project task force. The management of the project determines the speed, quality, and cost of project implementation, while the performance of the workforce is mainly based on productivity.

The productivity level of the construction project team is influenced by the craftsmanship of the project manager and the superintendent, who oversees the project implementation process. Interpersonal skills are fundamental in the creation of relationships with clients, the workforce, contractors, and suppliers. The performances and capabilities of the management team provide a hinge for the success of the project. The issue of staffing is critical, given that employees serve as the ambassador of the project. In this light, proficient, good communicators, good leaders and good managers need to be outsourced to create a pool with a converging agenda.

Project implementation immensely relies on intangible features such as leadership and management that are paramount for every superintendent and project manager. Regardless of the attributes being unquantifiable, the success of a project is determined by the characteristics. The impact of the super...