DBA_Module 5 Assignment 2Plagiarism Statement
This assignment is the original work of the person whose name is
given above as per the SBS
Swiss Business School procedures, which are detailed in the
handbook.
Signed
Candidate Family Name: Loutfy First / Other Names: Monif Candidate
ID Number: 10367 SBA DBA Intake: DBA Course: Module 5 Contemporary
Management
Assignment Topic: Write an essay by selecting any two
organizations, having different leadership styles that reflect
their organizational culture and performance. Suggest an
alternative leadership style of each from your understanding of the
concepts of leadership in overcoming the challenges of contemporary
management. Lecturer Dr. Kiran Nair Due Date: 9 May 2020
Office use only
This paper refers to factors affecting leadership and performance
behavior depending on
organization’s culture, managers’ rational motives toward
performance management,
further it was observed that culture exists at multiple levels,
focusing on one level for culture
to promote performance fails, changes to one level may affect
another and performance,
different levels of culture and lack of alignment among contributes
to the inconsistent
performance that all have integrated and aligned with an
organization’s cultures. It also
found that the styles of leadership and management of the
organization of multiple economic
entities conditioned by different external and internal factors by
changes of cellular
functions and power decision flexibility of the organizational
structures with a greater
tendency to decentralize management. In contrast, the competitive
culture had a direct and
indirect effect, bureaucratic and community learning has an
indirect impact on performance,
yet little consideration on organizational structure or leadership
on such performance.
The paper also concentrates on the leadership styles in the
construction industry and then
focuses on the UAE and related construction industry. It supplies
examples of two major
construction companies, which are a consultant called Dar and a
developer called Emaar.
Paper Explores the above companies’ leaders’ styles and differences
between the two. It
recommends and proposes some development to the existing leadership
styles and
recommends further research for the construction industry
leadership styles in general and
UAE.
3
Construction Industry
.........................................................................................................................
12
Examples of Organizational Leadership Styles in Construction
Companies .......................................... 16
A- Dar Al Handasah (Dar)
..........................................................................................................................
16
Dar Leadership Styles
.........................................................................................................................................................
17 Dar Performance
................................................................................................................................................................
19 Dar compared to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Construction
Industry Leadership
...................................................... 21
B- EMAAR PROPERTIES
.............................................................................................................................
21
Emaar Leadership Styles
....................................................................................................................................................
22 Emaar Performance
...........................................................................................................................................................
24 Emaar compared to Construction Industry
........................................................................................................................
26 Emaar compared to United Arab Emirates (UAE) Construction
Industry Leadership
........................................................ 27
Critique of the Construction Industry Leadership
.................................................................................
27
Best Leadership Style for Construction
................................................................................................
28
Best leadership for the construction industry in the UAE, Dar, and
Emaar .....................................................
28
Further Recommendations and Limitations
..................................................................................................
29
Conclusion
....................................................................................................................................................
30
References
..........................................................................................................................................
31
4
Introduction
This article will explore the significant leadership styles first
by reviewing various published papers on the
subject and will consider how the methods will relate to culture
and performance. Second, it will example
two organizations from the construction industry and try to review
their leadership styles about the above
publications and conclude its’ suitability and alternative means or
styles for the development. The selection
of the construction industry that is the author’s major career, and
also this industry does not reflect an open,
clear transparent leadership or management practices that can be
used or improved by others. The purpose
of the paper also is to brief the reader on a background of
leadership development through years and shows
the scattered opinions of different researchers through
times.
Background
The context of management studies involves diverse topics related
to organization, people, environment,
cultures, behavior, performance, and others affected by an internal
and external factor and area of research.
Leadership styles, traits, and concepts also explored widely in
various fields related to many industries of
technology, healthcare, marketing, finance, and others. The
construction industry was one of those
industries that some studies on leadership took place in various
regions and countries. But the industry still
needs further research and more detailed studies to conduct on
specific topics related to this industry, not
limited to leadership styles, best practices, general guidelines,
managerial principles. Leadership styles used
linked to performance, people satisfaction, impact on profit, the
sustainability of the business, and so many
other areas.
Literature Review
Leadership was always subject to different definitions and
discussions considered as an interpersonal
influence applied in a situation through communication to reach
goals through the attitudes, behavior, and
efforts of others (Limbare, 2012).
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Northouse (2012)defines leadership as “a process whereby an
individual influences a group of individuals
to achieve a common goal.” Leadership is a process where a person
exercises influence over others and
inspire them to achieve the completion of a joint task (Northouse,
2012).
Leadership comes from the word “lead,” which means: “to show
someone the way somewhere or take
them there by going in front of them” (The Longman Dictionary,
2013). Leadership is the way of acting
and behaving with a group of people to achieve goals or objectives,
through some attributes, interpersonal
relations, ana doctrine, by influence over others and
inspires(Sowmya, Chandrasekaran, & Patterson, 2018).
(Lewin, LIippit, & White, 1939) first distinguished the three
classical styles of leadership, that still applies
today. The leadership styles are the autocratic (authoritative)
style: implementing the will of a leader,
without taking into the consideration the opinion of subordinates;
the democratic (participative) style: by
the two-way communication between the leader and the assistants by
the friendly approach to assistants;
the free rain (delegative form) style: occasionally uses his or her
power and assigns a significant level of
freedom to subordinates(Sowmya et al., 2018).
McGregor, (1957) established two types of leadership styles where
theory X assumes that most of the
people dislike work and will try to avoid it if possible, theory Y
thinks that people are not inherently lazy
(Reddin, 1970). Theory Z by Ouchi, (1981) proposing that long-term
employment is the basis of active
organizations with employees entering into partnerships with
employers and colleagues with the right
support from management.
Another leadership styles study considering it a variable
determined primarily by stable personality
characteristics, or “traits,” outstanding individuals beliefs,
egos, a high degree of interaction and
involvement with subordinates and joint decision-making practices,
leadership climate, motivations and
attitudes, training and selection programs to achieve more
effective performance and more personal
satisfaction (Baumgartel, 1957).
Blake & Mouton, (1964) formed a managerial leadership style
grid based on two behavioral dimensions.
Those dimensions are a concern for people and concern for results.
He is finding five leadership styles of
poor management: low results/low people, produce-or-perish
management: high results /low people,
middle-of-the-road management: medium results/medium people,
country club management: the level
people result.
Fiedle, (1964) suggested that as the situation varies, leadership
requirements also vary, based
on contingency theories, the numerous factors, like the nature of
the task, leader’s personality, and make-
up of the group (Fiedler, 1964).
Reddin (1970) developed a manager behavior model consisting of
eight styles. The styles are deserter
uninvolved and passive, missionary primarily interested in harmony,
autocrat shows no confidence in others
with interest only in immediate results, compromiser poor
decision-maker influenced by the pressures of
work, bureaucrat interested in rules and procedures, developer
trusts people concerned with developing
individuals for more significant commitment, benevolent autocrat
knows to get things completed in his way
without causing resentment, and executive as an excellent motivator
setting high standards treats everyone
differently and prefers team management (Reddin, 1970).
Vroom & Yetton (1973) indicated that the supervisory approach
expected to be most effective in a particular
situation by developing decision making on situational leadership
regardless of the personal traits or style
of the decision-maker by having five styles. Autocratic Type 1
(AI): the leader makes the decision alone,
Autocratic Type 2 (AII): The leader collects information from some
followers then makes the decision
apart, Consultative Type 1 (CI): The leader shares the problem to
relevant followers individually, then
makes the decision alone after hearing individual input,
Consultative Type II (CII): The leader shares the
issue to relevant followers as a group, then makes the decision
alone after hearing group input and
discussion, and Group-Based Type II (GII): The leader presents the
problem to followers as a group and
seeks ideas from them through brainstorming, the leader accepts the
decision by the group without forcing
his opinion (Hollander et al., 1973).
Dansereau, Graen, & Haga, (1975) refers to leader-member
exchange theory that supervisor treated
individual subordinates differently and relationships evolve by
time, leader focusing all his attention to the
needs of the organization rather than on the needs of the
individual (Dansereau et al., 1975).
A study focusing on female and male leadership styles reveled that
most cultures have dominant, aggressive
qualities to males and passive, dependent qualities to females.
Females adopt more accommodative or
relationship-oriented behaviors, but there are no differences in
terms of style. Female managers do not
have a significantly higher need for fostering good interpersonal
relationships than do their male colleagues.
Female is not more task-oriented than are males. However, females
expected to be task-oriented to succeed
in a traditionally male environment (Chapman, 1975).
Another study categorizes leadership into three as transactional,
transformation, a,l, and contextual
leadership depend on nature and the environment they operate.
Transactional leadership depends on the
performance employees meeting a leader’s requirement based on
contractual obligations, goals, and
7
rewards, used in a stable environment with marginal changes that
took place during the 60s and 70s. While
transformational leadership involves change at the organization
level to meet competition, technologies, or
regulatory changes. It is full that needs a charismatic, visionary,
motivator, and inspiring leader who acts
on the culture as well as expecting a high performance from the
employee’s beyond expectations, devoted
and loyal. Leadership developed from charismatic leadership to
instrumental leadership, then to super
administration moving yielding production beyond expectations to
translate vision into reality, teach and
coach,h, respectively. Contextual guidance with continuous chaotic
change during the unpredictable and
turbulent nature of the organization happens by guiding new ideas,
flexible, working smarter, and synergy
(Anantaraman, 1993).
A study by Oshagbemi, (2008) aiming to obtain variables related to
leadership practice, finds that :
• Age is directly related to the consultative, participative, and
delegative leadership styles of
managers. The older a manager prefers more of collective decisions
in contrast with younger
managers who make decisions that may not necessarily get the
approval of the majority of workers.
• Hierarchy is directly related to consultative and participative
leadership style, but not associated
with the directive or delegative leadership.
• Gender alone does not appear to affect the result; present work,
therefore, attempts more
comprehensive research of the leadership styles
• Size and type of the organization did not show significant
results as well
• Transactional leadership management, by exception, was more
evident at lower levels of the
organization compared with the higher levels.
• Transactional leadership contingent reward was more evident at
higher organizational levels.
• On transformational leadership, the intellectual stimulation
variable is equally important in its
relationship with effectiveness for leaders at low and high
organizational levels.
• Transformational or transactional leadership to be more prevalent
at higher (or lower) levels of the
organization others suggest little evidence of such hierarchical
differences.
• Directive leadership style shows that higher-level organizational
leaders tend to give only broad
outlines, opinions, and suggestions rather than directives to their
lower-level managers. On the other
hand, supervisors or foremen often need to provide specific
instructions to facilitate operatives what
expected of them and when.
• Under directive leadership, that while the interaction of
management level and years of service in
the present organization is positively and statistically
significant, the communication of age and
years of service is negatively but also statistically significant.
They suggest that, given that higher
management level is consistent with the use of less directive
leadership, age may positively impact
the use of directive leadership.
8
• Older leaders can draw on their years of experience to
specifically make decisions with a higher
degree of confidence, which younger managers do not seem to
possess.
• The impact of consultative and participative leadership styles is
the same at a higher management
level and age. However, the less consultative and participative
leadership occurring at lower levels.
• The impact of delegative leadership style that older workers,
other things being equal, tend to
delegate more than younger workers. Influence can be a result of
their specific organizational
responsibility to, for example, train the lower-level managers or
less experienced workers.
• It found that older managers tend to use less of the individual
leadership styles in preference to the
overall leadership style, reflecting that the higher higher-levels
may not be the oldest ones and that
younger managers are rising to the top positions.
• One of the implications that an organization increasingly
recognizes the complementary roles and
skills of younger and older workers in achieving its goals
(Oshagbemi, 2008).
A study considering company leaders in the digital service sector
in China, such as Tencent, Alibaba group,
TGroup, and others, finds a relation between Chinese civilization
and modern development of industry and
economy through management. Traditionally the state firms used to
grant many social facilities to their
employees that caused much f financial burden and did not encourage
efficiency. While the reforms took
on companies accountable for their profits or losses, authorized to
retain and allocate part of their earnings
within the state plan, invested into technological innovations, the
development of new products could use
to pay bonuses to the employees. These leadership styles made the
Chinese family business significant for
businesses’ success, supported by a culture of competitiveness.
Hire professional managers, applies power,
and authority connected to ownership and characterized by
autocratic leadership and a personalistic
management style. The organization of such businesses is often pure
and informal, small, concentrated
upon production, and service provision. Style makes doing business
with China highly prestigious,
understanding of the business culture, and new opportunities become
a necessity for other world companies
(Milicevic, Lovric, & Markovic, 2012).
• Hay and McBer (2000) identifying six different leadership styles;
coercive, authoritative,
pacesetting, democratic, affiliative, and coaching. The study
revealed that more the styles the leader
uses, the better.
• Adair (2003) proposed that the qualities of the leader play an
essential role in different situations.
• Binney and Williams (2005) consider the change to adaptive
organizations is by the self-organizing,
and interdependent environment.
• Ghosh and Shejwal (2006) suggested that perceived organizational
values and leadership styles are
related.
9
• Ayo and Oluseyi (2009), in their study conducted in Nigeria,
revealed that leadership effectiveness
contributes mostly to workplace performance and followed by work
motivation.
• Bisht and Yadav (2010) revealed that psychological and active
involvement of employees was
equally important to encourage and flourish the real by focusing on
delegation of work, transparent
communication, empowerment, and proper feedback
• He also highlighted a relationship between leadership styles and
the conflict management styles as
the appeasement conflict management style was the most preferred by
the executive,s and the
resignation was the most rejected conflict management style.
(Limbare, 2012).
It also found that the styles of leadership and management of the
organization of multiple economic entities
conditioned by different external and internal factors by changes
of cellular functions and power decision
flexibility of the organizational structures with a greater
tendency to decentralize management
(Sobotkiewicz, 2014).
Ibrahim, Boerhannoeddin, & Kazeem Kayode, (2017) recently
refers also to other concepts of leadership
from several perspectives to describe and define leader, ship.
Leadership is a generally interpersonal
process in which a leader influences followers, through relational
interactions, soft skills traits, cooperation,
emotional intelligence quotient, personality traits, social graces,
communication, language, personal habits,
friendliness, and optimism. (Ibrahim, Boerhannoeddin, & Kazeem
Kayode, 2017).
B- Performance
A study on market-oriented organizational culture to measure
performance finds that behavior in
organizations consists of shared fundamental values, behavioral
norms, different types of artifacts, and
practices. Objects include stories, arrangements, rituals, and
language that are created by an organization
that is positive or negatively influenced by the establishment of
norms, establishing stories about a top
management leader eliminating dysfunctional artifacts. It finds
that performance is affected by a robust
organizational culture there managerially and leadership-driven,
measured by the customer satisfaction
ratings and customer loyalty as outcomes for companies that are
trying to enhance their market
orientation(Homburg & Pflesser, 2000).
The literature on organizational culture and its direct
relationship with corporate performance are plentiful
and diverse. Yet, the nature of relations is a few found that
performance was dependent on innovative
culture. In contrast, the competitive culture had a direct and
indirect effect, bureaucratic and community
learning has an indirect impact on performance, yet little
consideration on organizational structure or
leadership on such performance (Ilie & Gavrea, 2008).
10
It is finding a positive relationship between hierarchy values,
individual outcomes, and performance also
impacted by the style of the leader to enforce those principles
within the organizations (Ogaard, Larsen, &
Marnburg, 2005). Creation of cultural structure, competitive
despite hierarchy culture that still dominates
in some organizations, depending on ownership, location leadership
style differences, or stakeholder
priorities, affects corporate culture and thus performance (Acar
& Acar, 2014).
A factor affecting leadership and performance is behavior depending
on organization’s culture, managers’
rational motives toward performance management, further it was
observed that culture exists at multiple
levels, focusing on one level for culture to promote performance
fails, changes to one level may affect
another and performance, different levels of culture and lack of
alignment among contributes to inconsistent
performance that all have integrated and aligned with an
organization’s cultures(Taylor, 2014).
There are integrated dynamics affecting motivation and performance
in the workplace; a positive
environment leads to favorable situations and results. Performance
improvement seeks to eliminate
demotivating factors or barriers, leading to frustration. It found
that employees’ affective commitment is
dependent on the degree and duration of the job impact on the lives
of others/customers/users, scope of
influence, frequency, and focus on preventing and promoting gains.
Those actions relate to the performance
of employees and the leaders of organizations. Performance is
improved by review of occurring situations
and resolve problems, communication, and avoid in the future(Taylor
M., 2015).
Transformation in leadership also plays a role in performance,
directly and indirectly. Changes boost
employee performance, job satisfaction increase production, through
the suitable structure, technology,
physical arrangement, and human resources, but its’ frequency may
cause inconvenience for employees’
comfortable with one condition (Muliaty, Basri, & Jasruddin,
2017).
Leaders planning and implementing training within an organization
affects the performance by opting to
trainer effectiveness, training methodology, and work performance
complemented each other rather than
competing. In contrast, soft skills acquisition affects employee
performance. Training methodology has an
impact on soft skills acquisition (Ibrahim et al., 2017)
Another study notes that there is a different relationship between
administrative and professional norms
that affects performance improvement negatively unless leaders
involve professionals, healthcare in
particular, in decision-making towards common goals linking
performance to organizational culture. It
finds that organizations have a variety of cultures. It defines
four cultures:
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1. A clan that is internally focused based on relationships,
cohesive and participatory, and casting the
organization as a second family. Leaders are mentors, facilitate
teamwork, and promote group
interaction. Members are loyal to satisfy.
2. Development culture that is innovative, dynamic, and having
relation-based processes. Leaders are
risk-takers, visionaries, and expect the same from the organization
members. The structure is
flexible and meets dynamic external demand.
3. Hierarchical culture enforces rules and regulations depends on
predictability, control, and stability.
Top managers tend to be conservative. Structure focuses on
financial results and efficiency.
4. Rational culture achieves predefined goals and facing external
competition. Leaders are goal-
oriented.
Norms reflect on the choice of organizational culture to meet
targets; the more influential the dominance
of a cultural type, the better are the performances, ut could be
different in ti groups and various principles’
organizations with reliable, professional control. Senior
management team culture might strongly influence
strategic orientation, which, in turn, determines priorities and
the appropriate means for achieving shared
goals in the organization. Styles of leadership push performances
aligned with professional priorities
towards cultural transformation. Through improved training of
leaders to strategically used to understand
which leadership aptitudes are consistent with an organizational
culture that supports the expected
performance to shape the desired by also reducing the differences
between different cultures (Calciolari,
Prenestini, & Lega, 2018).
Leaders implementing strategic alliance is another aspect that
played a very significant role in
organizational performance, challenged by technological
advancement. Alliances also have a positive and
significant effect on corporate culture, complementing each other
to deliver the higher outcomes (Paracha,
Mahmood, Saboor, & Malik, 2019).
United Arab Emirates (UAE) Leadership Styles
A book recently written by Jarrar (2020), known as the Sheikh CEO,
explores leadership styles and traits
of Sheikh Mohammed’s the ruler of Dubai with his vision transformed
Dubai into the global city. Vison
based on the economy, taking a front seat while politics comes
second. Leadership based on hosting a
majlis (informal meeting) weekly to keep an ear to the ground,
forward-thinking, healthy competition, and
act fast when making decisions. Leading with courage and vision,
action trumps everything, never believe
that works are complete, surrounded by influential leaders, and win
hearts and minds. We shall go to Mars
(Jarrar, 2020).
12
UAE leadership is extraordinarily based on firm belief, commitment,
and skills to transform a desert into a
modern state by His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. His
leadership style summarized by
him as:
“The Ruler should not have any barrier which separates him from his
people.”
Sheikh Zayed characterized through the unionization of the emirates
into a singular nation, sharp vision,
transformation of the image into a reality, wisdom, charisma, close
relationship with the people to transform
the bureaucratic structure of a modern state, diverse tribal
elements, and a federal system (Sowmya et al.,
2018).
Construction Industry
It is worth to introduce the construction industry by examining the
transformation it has undergone over
the past years in the management of projects where the construction
industry is a significant global business.
It plays a role in economic growth, producing structures adding
value, product, activity, and quality of
people. The construction industry is unique makes construction
project management a distinct discipline
with considerable challenges in various contexts.
Construction is the coordination of a large number of separate
business enterprises and workers, with varied
responsibilities, skills, and roles entailing risk management to
achieve the purpose of use or profit. This
investment requires leadership to ensure its timely, successful,
and cost-effective completion by balancing
the need to coordinate the many moving parts involved, with no
transparent day-to-day workplace
practices(Weil, 2005).
A research on the performance in construction organizations,
Bassioni, Price, & Hassan, (2005) finds that
the driving factors include proper leadership, strategic
management, information, people management,
partnerships, resources management, intellectual capital
management, risk management, culture, and
process management. The nature of relationships among various
combinations of performance factors is a
vast area of research but measuring strategic performance in
construction is relatively not well explored
and subject to more work (Bassioni et al., 2005)
Charted Institute of Builders (CIOB) in a published report during
2007, suggests that excellent
communication skills, strategic vision, ability to get results, and
understanding of the business are the most
important traits for a leader to be effective in the construction
industry. The leadership of charisma,
inspiration, soft leadership skills that less used in the
construction industry. Leadership qualities are
integrity, ability to listen, and understanding. Moreover, it shows
that women have more soft skills in
construction industry leaders. Most inferior leadership qualities
were by not having enough time, not
13
delegating enough, impatience, poor communication skills, and a
lack of decisiveness. Continuing personal
and professional development and self-motivation are the
responsibility of an individual to progress career,
new experiences as the most valuable way to improve their
leadership ability. Higher managers have the
most significant influence on construction industry professionals.
At the same time, lack of opportunity and
organizational culture identified as the two most significant
barriers to leaders reaching their full potential.
I also confirm that there is substantial unexplored potential in
the industry (CIOB, 2007).
A study for leadership in construction shows that writers are
beginning to pay more attention to project
leadership. Currently, project leaders primarily use power,
authority, and task-orientation, as a technical
and managerial feature, which calls for a change in the traditional
feeling due to globalization and change.
Applying different leadership behaviors by “authentic” project
leaders with positive values, transparency,
lead from the heart, implementing highest levels of ethics and
morality, step over personal interests towards
the well-being of their followers, capitalize on the environment of
trust, and motivate people and
accomplish challenging task (Toor & Ofori, 2008).
Similar to the leadership styles explored above, researchers in the
construction industry examined those
styles suitable for construction professionals and found that
different and various results based on location,
level, and stage of construction. The multiple findings were that
contingency model is widely used, project
managers who were high in task and low in people produced an
acceptable level of performance, project
managers are socially independent, effectiveness of project
managers are related to task-oriented
leadership, used supportive style in feasibility study and
pre-contract stages of works and a directive style
as construction progressed, others found high effectiveness
followed team-style leadership, production
style of leadership scored lowest, use of compromise leadership
style have average effectiveness scores,
others found that relationship-oriented leadership more critical
than the task-oriented, also observed that
female and male managers were similar in transactional leadership
but their transformational practices were
different, task-oriented style of both sexes, higher positions used
pacesetting style-leading by example than
lower management positions, transformational style using charisma,
inspiration, motivation, intellectual
stimulation, and individualized consideration, and leadership
by-exception, active and passive are
correlated with outcomes. Some researchers recommend the use of
transformational leadership for higher
employee performance, use of authority, and punishment rated the
lowest of leadership behaviors. A variety
of styles and relations to performance and practices reflect that
there is no leadership style that best suits
the construction industry, probably because they change depending
on the circumstances and times. The
basis of selecting leadership styles with no clear trait-profile,
imitating, with no apparent character for the
project leader, or how developed or adopted such style, or if any
ideal set of qualities to constitute best
leadership style, or switch from one style to another, retaining
credibility by changing styles frequently
(Toor & Ofori, 2008).
14
It also is observed that leadership in construction and project
management deals with administrators,
supervisors, and top executives without being great leaders,
focusing on superficial activities, short-term
profits, and prices, without much-motivation and long term goals.
While recommended that quality
leadership is essential for the individual, influences the whole
project process in light of the booming
construction. The shift toward globalization, complexity, rapid
change, competition, higher customer
satisfaction, makes a sole executive not solving all problems alone
except by effective leadership through
a continuing process of self-study, education, training, and
experience (Xiong, 2008).
Research that looked at the structure and the development of
leadership in the construction industry note
that office and field engineer position is a starting position and
not to achieve higher levels except after five
years after sufficient experience to become a project manager. A
project executive takes thirteen years of
experience to deal with department managers, project managers, and
clients. Recipes to improve
construction opportunities for the company, provide overall
leadership, significant direction on construction
projects, mentor, ensure the quality, profitability, success of
projects, and deliverables on time and within
budget is by an autocratic leadership down through the structure to
in a day-by-day plan and weekly by
command on foremen and workers. However, several alternative ways
could be available by leadership
development programs(Jung, Ph, C, & Mills, 2012)
As the construction industry mainly based on project management,
the key is to apply the correct style in
the appropriate situation. Used leadership styles are:
• Coercive leadership, used during crises to meet deadlines
summarized as “do what I tell you,”
• Authoritative guidance inspires an entrepreneurial spirit and
vibrant enthusiasm for the mission by
the energetic and motivational,
• Affiliate leadership atypical style used creates emotional bonds
with the team best used in times of
stress and to rebuild trust but may affect performance and lack of
direction,
• Democratic leadership most used when leader when the needs need
to have ownership of aims to
promote innovative ideas,
• Pacesetting leadership used in the motivated team to obtain quick
results, and coaching leaders to
build strength and more success (Doyle, 2016).
In an article that looks at the construction industry management
and leader, notes that what was evolved
from entrepreneurial and autocratic leading by command control,
single point of decisions by mystical
formula by the first generation of the organization, that still
exists. Staffavoidsd the boss because they never
predict how he reacts, lacking empowerment, the deficit in
next-generation leadership, centralization that
limits the organization’s growth. However, some organizations
introduced inspirational leadership, with
15
more collaboration through the boss remains the driver of the
organization, manage by fear as a superstar,
linked to the reputation of the company(Anderson, 2018).
United Arab Emirates (UAE) Construction Industry Leadership
UAE has a visible construction boom valued at $221 billion with
much diversity and multi-cultures
stakeholders, acquiring leadership and management from a global
context. Leadership styles examined
found affected by organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and
performance. While performance
influenced by salary, nature of work, job flexibility, job
security, direct manager’s behavior, and company
leadership. Among the various leadership styles, a study suggested
that the most used is the consensus
leadership, followed by the consultative leadership styles. The
most preferred leadership styles by most of
the workgroups are common, team manadvisorysultative and consensus
leadership styles, encouraging
participation, involvement, and commitment before making decisions
due to UAE culturally diverse. Both
male and female employees feel that their direct manager’s behavior
is the most influencing factor in their
organizational commitment. Senior management recruitment and
employee retention strategies in the UAE
have to be more considered. Young employees (21-30 years) strongly
influenced by salary, other benefits,
and the nature of wor, whereas older employees’ (46-55 years) more
controlled by job security(Randeree
& Chaudhry, 2012).
Another study to evaluate the effectiveness and leadership in
construction projects in Abu Dhabi finds that
leaders with different styles recommend having a joint
leadership-two project manager. Improve project
success affected by multi-culture, operations, durations, costs,
and quality that will reduce communication
time(Al Shamsi, 2015).
While others found that female leaders are more transformational
compared to male building more
exceptional communication, UAE nationals do not tend to discuss
essential beliefs and values, which are
critical characteristics of transformational leaders. Thus,
transactional leadership behaviors found to be
more influential in the UAE. Therefore Thus, a need for a flexible
decision process observed, despite the
several educational institutes in UAE, develop leadership skills of
the students toward more
transformational leadership through confidence level. A leader with
a higher position in an organization is
more likely to adopt transformational leadership with more skills,
experience, transparency, and
reliability(Yousif A. Yousif, Hossan, & McNeil, 2015).
16
Examples of Organizational Leadership Styles in Construction
Companies
The selection of the organizations the writer is an attempt to shed
some light adds some knowledge related
to the existing companies that the regional community is familiar
with its’ news and updates daily. Those
examples could be of interest to stakeholders working in the UAE
and involved or interested in the
construction industry. The construction industry is the field of
interest to the writer, practicing it daily, and
still lacks further future research in various areas with no
earlier published researches on the selected
companies below. The lack of literature makes the study a challenge
and with more value to the industry.
The choice could make the selections unique and more interesting
than selecting organizations that widely
known with various readily available and accessible data and
publications.
A- Dar Al Handasah (Dar)
Selection of Dar Al Handasah- recently branded as Dar- since it is
the Employer of the writer since 2007,
it is part of Dar Group, an international consortium of thirteen
professional service firms with more ththan9
000 staff members, assisting clients in over 100 countries around
the world. Dedicated to planning,
designing, engineering, transportation, petroleum, and project
managing facilities, installations, structures,
and contributes to the sustainable advance of communities
worldwide. Dar set up since 1958 alone has
more than 9000 staff members distributed along 47 offices along
Middles East, Africa, Asia, and Europe
during the last six decades. It is a privately-owned company and
not listed in stock markets.
The vision was to have a regional consulting practice as a natural
product of the professional and political
environment. It was aiming to look beyond the limits of local
methods to supply multi-disciplinary
professional services that were only available from firms in the US
and Europe. Growth in the first capital
of around $ 12000 to current annual turnover, according to ENR
magazine, of $2.4 billion in 2015.
The leadership model is based on a partnership with a flexible
management structure built of department
directors’ specialties, sectional and divisional managers, area
directors plus country directors, project
directors for specific projects or a series of projects, and plans
projects. Partners and directors based at
different offices throughout a network, k, which relies on a mix of
hi-tech communications and regular
personal contact to make it useful. Senior personnel set goals at
an annual three-day planning and strategy
session. The partnership structure has evolved to reflect the
realities of decentralized practice with one.
Hence, the founder (Shair) is now the only partner staying from the
five founders, along with the other 21
partners in a structure that guarantees that the continuity and
character of the company are not dependent
on any individual. On November 17, 2016, Darreachedd a momentous
milestone, celebrating 60 years of
17
Al Handasah, 2016).
• Understanding clients’ cultures, political and economic contexts
to shape its endeavours to the needs
• Built on long-lasting relationships
• Bring together the best people to create individual
solutions
• Works in partnerships
• Committed get closer to clients and people in daily
• Challenging to find new and better ways to clients and
people
• Collaborative through lasting partnerships
• Continuous to make an impact over the long-term
• View Corporate social responsibility as an opportunity to get
closer to communities
• Despite the growth from a regional into a global group, Dar
remains faithful to the approach of its
founders.
In an interview with the son of one of the founders after been
listed during 2019 among the Construction
Week Power100, Talal Shair, the Chairman and chief executive
officer of Dar notes that explores the
companies to the public the organization principles and expansions
been now one of the region’s leading
firms by taking revolutionary step of handing 60% of ownership to
senior employees. They have
distinguished themselves by their leadership qualities and
technical skills. The partnership model drives
Dar forward as senior managers realize their growth is essential to
the firm’s development (Warrier, 2019).
From the above brief review of the Dar background, evolution, and
current leadership comparing it to the
leadership styles and relation to performance explored above the
followings seen:
Dar Leadership Styles
1- Dar aligned with the leadership definitions of influence, goals,
processes, inspiration, and
communication as described above by (Limbare, 2012), (Northouse,
2012), and (Sowmya et al.,
2018).
2- Dar does not follow the classical leadership style of the
autocratic (authoritative) style but more into
the democratic (participative) style and (delegative style) style
as explained above by (Lewin et l.,
18
1939), and (Sowmya et al., 2018). Supported by the model of
expanding its’ partners to 21, that
holds 60% of the shares, while only one-second generation partner
still on board from the founders.
3- The leadership styles as described above by McGregor, (1957) and
(Reddin, 1970) that theory X
and Y does not apply to Dar’s principles since most of the people
like works and not lazy within
Dar, while theory Z by Ouchi, (1981) concerning the long-term
employment applies to Dar through
the continuous commitment described.
4- The leadership style variables explored by (Baumgartel, 1957)
apply to DDar does not publish
personality characteristics, beliefs, interaction, and joint
decision making by Dar, yet from the writer
employed. This is not well established within the culture with
employees, and this could be subject
to improvement and recommendation to leaders.
5- The leadership styles explored by Blake & Mouton, (1964)
above, applies to Dar, where following
middle-of-the-road management: medium results/medium people
observed that could be improved
to country club management: high people/low results.
6- Fiedler, (1964) contingency theories of leadership not observed
within days.
7- Reddin, (1970), from the eight styles noted by him above, Dar’s
follows the missionary, developer,
and executive as an excellent motivator are observed at the senior
managers and partners level,
while still some autocrat style is applied by some middle
managers.
8- Vroom, & Yetton, (1973) supervisory approach applies to Dar
at mid-managers level, while some
consultative type exists too.
9- Dansereau, Graen, & Haga, (1975) leader-member exchange
theory does not apply to Dar.
10- The difference between female and male leadership styles as
explored by (Chapman, 1975) above, is
not well observed in Dar although one partner only is a female
where the male dominance is visible
and observed
11- Dar mainly follows the transactional leadership as explored by
(Anantaraman, 1993) above
depending on contractual obligations, where developing
transformational leadership may improve
performance directly and indirectly, as noted by (Muliaty et al.,
2017).
19
12- Dar considers the variables explored by Oshagbemi, (2008),
where observations of involving young
partners, leaders and managers, flatter hierarchy, that improves
performance as per (Ogaard et al.,
2005) and created cultural structure for better performance
explained by (Acar & Acar, 2014).
13- The other styles explored by Limbare (2012), where adaptive,
self-organizing, organizational values
and leadership styles are related to Dar. While Ayo and Oluseyi
(2009) and Bisht and Yadav (2010)
leadership effectiveness to replace performance and motivation, the
active involvement of
employees, conflict management style does not apply to Dar.
14- Leadership styles explored by (Milicevic et al., 2012) based on
competitiveness, hire professional
managers, power and authority closely connected to ownership, with
simple and informal, small,
concentrated upon production, sales or service-provision do not
apply to Dar, where exploring
markets and works on business development is very weak.
15- Soft skills traits, cooperation, emotional intelligence
quotient, personality traits, social graces,
communication, language, personal habits, friendliness, and
optimism explored by (Ibrahim et al.,
2017), does not apply to Dar.
16- Multiple economic conditioned by different external and
internal factors functions and power of
decision flexibility as noted by (Sobotkiewicz, 2014), though
adjusted by time by Dar but still slow
pace to meet the quickly changing environment.
Dar Performance
1- Dar positive environment acts toward performance improve memory
substantially more energetic
employees affective commitment to make a difference described by
(Taylor M., 2015) widely
observed within Dar.
2- As for performance and organizational fundamentals of shared
basic values, behavioral norms,
different types of artifacts, customer satisfaction, loyalty
figures as explored by (Homburg &
Pflesser, 2000), forms significant dar principles values.
3- The administrative and professional norms that affect the
performance improvement negatively find
that Clan, that is internally focused based on relationships,
cohesive and participatory, hierarchical
culture enforces rules and intellectuals, as well as intellectual
culture, achieves with predefined are
mostly used within Dar. Without following a development culture
that is innovative as described
above by (Calciolari et al., 2018).
20
4- A culture that exists at multiple levels is evident in Dar, as
noted by (Taylor, 2014).
5- Dar follows the strategic alliance,s as explained by (Paracha et
al., 201,9), that very significant role
in organizational performance and development.
6- Dar adopted at some stages some training within an organization
to improve performance. Still, the
methodologies, as explained by (Ibrahim et al., 2017), were not
implemented where Dar
implementing general managerial training that not based on the need
required for the improvement
of the working palace.
7- Dar has developed technology platforms yet innovative culture
with some affected bureaucratic
performance explained by (Ilie & Gavrea, 2008), creative ideas
can improve that.
Dar compared to the Construction Indessentialt necessary to place
Dar within the context of the
construction industry in terms of leadership and performance
explored above by the below comparative
highlights:
1. The construction industry adopted transformation through the
past years in the management, and
so Dar developing its partnership and leadership models and
expansions.
2. Dar adapts the basic principles of the construction industry
with varied responsibilities, skills, and
roles entailing risk management to achieve the purpose of use or
profit, as explored by (Weil 2005).
3. As shown in Dar’s principles above, the relationships explored
by Bassioni, Price, & Hassan (2005)
among various combinations of performance factors are widely
visible within Dar.
4. The traits of beneficial effects in the construction industry by
charisma and inspiration, while soft
leadership skills appear to be less used in the construction
industry as explored by (CIOB, 2007)
are yet to be developed within Dar and subject to more
improvement.
5. Applying different leadership behaviors, competencies, and
styles, new types of construction
project leaders, by “authentic” project leaders recommended by
(Toor & Ofori, 2008) are also yet
to be visible within Dar
6. The quality leadership advised by (Xiong, 2008) is to be
developed within Dar as well.
21
7. The observations made by (Jung et al., 2012) also apply to Dar,
where the development of
leadership positions with employees is slow, with more tendency to
autocratic leadership down
through the structure.
8. Entrepreneurial style, as explained by (Anderson, 2018) apply in
Dar, which is the founders’
visions, while the deficit in next-generation leadership does not
apply, which was the reason for
expansion and development. similarly, centralization does not use,
while some more collaboration
still much needed
Dar compared to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Construction
Industry Leadership
1. The boom of UAE helped Dar expansion with major vital projects,
including Dubai International
Airports, as part of its’ profile. The leadership styles found
affecting commitment, job satisfaction,n
and performance as explored by (Randeree & Chlocatedy, 2012)
located within Dar while specific
areas like improvement employees’ motivation are still
needed.
2. Joint leadership-two project managers proposed by (Al Shamsi,
2015), does not apply depending
on other stakeholders and the external environment.
3. Similar to UAE studies, female leaders as more transformational
compared to their more
exceptional building more excellent communication with
transactional leadership, as seen in the
UAE Leaders, as found by (Yousif A. Yousif et al., 2015), coincides
with Dar and subject to
improvement and exploring other styles.
B- EMAAR PROPERTIES
Emaar Properties describes itself as one of the world’s most
valuable and admired real estate development
companies, has competencies in properties, shopping malls &
retail and hospitality and leisure, shaping
new lifestyles with a focus on design excellence, build quality and
timely delivery. Located in UAE, it is
a public joint-stock company, listed on the Dubai Financial Market,
and has a valuation of US$9.7 billion
as of June 2018 with some operation Internationally (Emaar, 2020).
The man behind Emaar is Mohamed
Alabbar, the Chairman of Emaar Properties, during an interview
presented as the man whose company built
Burj Khalifa-highest building in the world knows a thing or two
about scaling great heights in the business
world, taking risks, calling to be brave and learn how to make big
decisions, not about money or business,
but about that child standing in front of the Burj Khalifa, looking
at it and smiling and saying, ‘I belong to
a civilized country, and I am proud.’ He faced times of doubt as to
whether he was the right man for the
22
challenge that has made him stronger faults, considers that without
failures, we would be useless, f; failures
one resilient and grows because of failures (Hill, 2016).
Emaar principles saw through:
1. Setting up a new startup business to be run by millennials below
25 years that’s hoped will take the
company to “new heights” o capture the next wave of new ideas and
innovations (Business, 2017).
2. Alabbar says there is a minor difference between a boss and a
leader, and a boss simply commands
while a leader leads by saying, ‘let’s go! Inspired from his mentor
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of UAE, of dynamic
leadership, positioning himself in
front of his team rather than behind them, ranked as The World’s
Most Influential Arabs of 2009
(Forum & Thinkers, n.d.)
3. During change, transforming businesses means connecting with all
stakeholders by first
understanding their goals and aspirations (Gulf Business,
2013).
4. We are focused on adding value to stakeholders and creating
self-sustaining business entities that
contribute to the recurring revenue streams of the company.
5. It expanded to new geographic markets and consolidated
businesses in the hospitality and leisure,
as well as shopping malls and retail segments.
6. Commitment to transformation by a strategy to the economic
growth of emerging markets by
developing integrated communities that catalyze local economies
(Gulf Business, 2013).
Emaar Leadership Styles
1- Emaar also aligned with the leadership definitions of influence,
goals, processes, inspiration, and
communication as described above by (Limbare, 2012), (Northouse,
2012), and (Sowmya et al.,
2018).
2- Emaar also does not follow the classical leadership style of the
autocratic (authoritative) style.
Furthermore, literature does not reflect implementing democratic
(participative) style nor
(delegative style) style as explained above by (Lewin et al.,
1939), and (Sowmya et al., 2018).
However, innovative patterns and styles saw by creating the best
projects and involve young
leaders’ initiatives
23
3- The leadership styles as described above by McGregor, (1957) and
(Reddin, 1970) that theory X
and Y does not apply to Emaar’s principles as well since the
leaders likes works and not lazy within
Emaar, while theory Z by Ouchi, (1981) concerning the long-term
employment may apply to Emaar
through the continuous commitment required impactive the needed
impact and uniqueness in such
special projects.
4- The leadership styles variables explored by (Baumgartel, 1957)
applies to Emaar where the study
of personality characteristics, of beliefs, interaction and joint
decision making is evident in Emaar,
through the complexity of the announced projects which cannot be
achieved without such variables
and a strong belief in success and overcome of failures as noted by
its’ Chairman.
5- The leadership styles explored by Blake & Mouton, (1964)
above apply to Emaar, where following
country club management: high people/low results is also evident
where world level achievements
are obtained and cannot do except through the well-known leadership
and top senior people.
6- Fiedler, (1964) Fiedler, (1964) contingency theories of
leadership not published by Emaar, but it is
included within Emaar, first through the Chairman stated that
failures to learn from and then
overcome. The high standard achievements of doing the most
prominent mall and tallest mall in the
world cannot done with various contiguous plans in place to make
them happen.
7- Reddin, (1970) from the eight styles noted by him above, Emaar’s
appears to follow the developer
style that trusts people concerned with developing more
significantly for more significant
commitment as set by the Ruler of Dubai and reflected in the
leadership of Emaar
8- Vroom, & Yetton, (1973) supervisory approach applies to
Emaar at mid-managers level, while
some consultative type exists too, those so needed to ensure the
delivery of such projects
9- Dansereau, Graen, & Haga, (1975) leader-member exchange
theory is not apparent in Emaar
leadership styles.
10- The difference between female and male leadership styles, as
explored by (Chapman, 1975) above,
is not well observed as from the published info, the board and
structures include a lot of female
members, which adds value to the performance.
11- Emaar mainly follows the transformational leadership as
explored by (Anantaraman, 1993) above
involves change at the organization level to meet competition,
technologies, or regulatory changes.
Through the Chairman with charismatic, visionary, motivate, or and
inspiring leader, expecting high
24
performance from the employee’s beyond expectations, devoted and
loyal. Emaar also has a
contextual leadership that deals with continuous chaotic change
during unpredictable and turbulent
nature of organizational environment by guiding, new ideas,
flexible, working smarter, and with
synergy on contractual obligations, with such leadership styles
improvement to performance,
directly and indirectly, is evident (Muliaty et al., 2017).
12- Emaar considers the variables explored by Oshagbemi, (2008),
where observations of involving
young partners, genders, leaders and managers, flatter hierarchy,
that improves performance as per
(Ogaard et al., 2005) and created cultural structure for better
performance explained by (Acar &
Acar, 2014). Directive leadership also evident as the writer was
involved in the delivery of one of
the Projects where Chairman of Emaar was in direct involvement and
directing details through the
interaction of management level
13- (Milicevic et al., 2012the ) the study above was making
companies accountable for their profits or
losses, authorized to retain earnings as part profits within the
state plan is evident in Emaar as it
contributes to the growth of Dubai and UAE.
14- The other styles explored by Limbare, (2012) where adaptive,
self-organizing, organizational values
and leadership styles are related applies to Emaar while Ayo and
Oluseyi (2009) and Bisht and
Yadav (2010) leadership effectiveness and workplace performance and
motivation, active
involvement of employees, conflict management style apparent in
Emaar evidenced by the
achievement
15- Multiple economic conditioned by different external and
cellular factors by changes of cellular
functions and power of decision flexibility as noted by
(Sobotkiewicz, 2014), apparent in Emaar
through the international expansions, diversity of the tasks to
residences, hospitality, malls, leisure,
and others.
16- Ibrahim, Boerhannoeddin, & Kazeem Kayode, (2017) study
applies to Emaar where the
interpersonal process in which a leader influences followers,
through relational interactions, soft
skills traits, and others appear in Emaar outcome by final
extraordinary performance and
achievements regardless of the internal tension and stresses that
could happen during day-to-day
works (Ibrahim et al., 2017).
Emaar Performance
1. Emaar positive environment acts toward more robustness
improvement with a strong healthier
affective commitment to make a difference described by (Taylor M.,
2015) widely observed within
25
Emaar affected by influential culture based on doing the be that
managerially and leadership-driven
measured by the customer the clear and evident satisfaction ratings
and customer loyalty and
enhancement to the market and the world.
2. Emaar performance dependent on innovative culture, while the
competitive culture had a direct and
indirect effect as explored by (Ilie & Gavrea, 2008).
3. (Ogaard et al., 2005) noting that creation of cultural structure
based on competition despite
hierarchy is evident in Emaar.
4. The dynamics affecting motivation and performance in the
workplace, positive environment evident
in Emaar leading more robust romance improvement through healthier
employees’ affective
commitment to make a difference explained (Taylor M., 2015), which
prompted Emaar to produce
the best projects worldwide.
5. The transformation in leadership adopted by Emaar plays a role
in performance matching (Muliaty
et al., 2017) study.
6. It also observed that planning and implementing training within
Emaar affected the performance
matching as well (Ibrahim et al., 2017) study.
7. The administrative and professional norms explained by
(Calciolari et al., 2018). that affects the
performance improvement negatively finds that development culture
that is innovative, dynamic,
and having relation-based processes. Leaders are risk-takers,
visionaries, and expect the same from
the organization members. The structure is flexible and meets
dynamic external demand is the main
style of Emaar.
8. The styles of leadership noted by (Calciolari et al., 2018)
pushed the performance of Emaar aligned
with professional priorities towards cultural transformation.
9. Emaar follows the strategic alliances, as explained by (Paracha
et al., 2019), that players d a very
significant role in organizational performance and
development.
26
Emaar compared to Construction Industry
It also essential to place Emaar within the context of the
construction industry in terms of leadership and
performance explored above by the below comparative
highlights:
1. The construction industry adopts transformation through the past
years in the management, and so
is Emaar by economic growth, producing structures adding value,
productivity, and quality of
people.
2. Emaar adapts the basic principles of the construction industry
with varied responsibilities, skills,
and roles entailing risk management to achieve the purpose o use or
profit, as explored by (Weil,
2005), through the investment, successful, and cost-effective
completion
3. As shown in Emaar’s principles, also the relationships explored
by Bassioni, Price, & Hassan
(2005), among various combinations of performance factors, are
widely visible within Emaar.
4. The traits of leader to be useful in the construction industry
by charisma and inspiration, as explored
by (CIOB, 2007) is so evident in Emaar with higher managers have
the most significant influence
on construction industry professionals.
5. Applying different leadership behaviors, competencies, and
styles, new types of construction
project leaders, by “authentic” project leaders recommended by
(Toor & Ofori, 2008), are also yet
to be visible within Emaar and could be not needed with such high
performance and achievements.
6. The quality leadership advised by (Xiong, 2008) is visible in
Emaar important for the individual,
influences the whole project process in light of the booming
construction and the shift toward, and
complexity.
7. The observations made by (Jung et al., 2012) also apply to
Emaar, where development of leadership
positions with introducing young leaders for innovations and
improvement.
8. Entrepreneurial styles, as explained by (Anderson, 2018) apply
in Emaar, which is the Chairman’s
vision, while the deficit in next-generation leadership does not
use to call for young leaders through
inspirational leadership, with more collaboration through the
Chairman remains the driver of the
organization.
27
Emaar compared to United Arab Emirates (UAE) Construction Industry
Leadership
1. Emaar was the reason behind the boom of the UAE helped its’
expansion with significant critical
projects, including Malls, cities, and towers. The leadership
styles found affecting commitment,
satisfaction, and performance, as explored by (Randeree &
Chaudhry, 2012) has to be found in
Emaar reflecting such results.
2. Joint leadership-two project managers proposed by (Al Shamsi,
2015), does not apply to Emaar
depending on other stakeholders and the external environment.
3. Similar to UAE studies, female leaders, been in the board of
Emaar as more transformational
compared to their males by building more exceptional communication
as found by (Yousif A.
Yousif et al., 2015), which coincides with Emaar and subject to
improvement and exploring other
styles.
The construction industry is a significant sector and achieved
considerable progress in the last 20 years,
especially in UAE, however generally worldwide, and in the Middle
East including UAE is no clear and
published works on the best general managerial and leadership
skills and styles. Although many theses and
published papers done looking at UAE construction industry but were
based on particular technical and
engineering studies related to the industry dealing with cost,
programming, delays, dispute resolutions, and
others but not on management and project management practices to be
used for guidance, future research
and to implement to improve the performance. These reasons could be
is that organizations are not much
public, transparent, nor supporting such studies through data
collection and investing in analyzing such data
to produce results used to improve performance and day-to-day
works.
The industry has focused on management, to the exclusion of
leadership, since maybe the construction
project managers, who are the key role players in the construction
which based on projects that are
temporary, unique, start and finish within specific periods, where
project managers perceived as leaders but
mostly termed as managers. Practice and research show that the
project and site manager is one of the most
critical success factors of projects. They act towards the overall
balance between the triangle of the quality,
time, and cost of the plan (Toor & Ofori, 2008).
Leadership is evident in literature, is an essential subject in
management studies, but not dealing with real
problems and show fluent issues and solutions mainly in the
construction industry, with no much work
done on leadership.
28
Toor & Ofori, (2008) refers to other researches like Dulaimi
and Langford, (1999 ), noting that studies on
leadership in the construction industry concentrate on
investigating the motivational factors and the
personal characteristics of project managers. Still, little focus
on leadership development despite the interest
of the research community in the subject, concluding that
practicing construction professionals are also
hardly seen as leaders due to lack of understanding of the industry
by researchers unless they practice it
where most of the practitioners are engineers. Few are with
managerial education or interest in it.
Project executives establish the relationships with others,
presenting a combination of boss-centered and
subordinated-centered leadership trends that has improved since the
problem identified by the leader
transferred to the subordinates and the whole process (Jung, Goo
Jeong, & Mills, 2014).
Best Leadership Style for Construction
From the above review of the various research on leadership,
analysis of the construction industry, over
UAE background and the industry in UAE and the personal experience
of the writer along with a focus on
two leading organizations taken and chosen one as a consultant and
other as a developer where major
entities that form the elements of the construction industry and to
find the best leadership for the industry
in general and for those particulars organizations one can see
below.
Best leadership for the construction industry in the UAE, Dar, and
Emaar
1- Since the project manages the essential element of the
organization, his leadership style influences
project success, and he determines the leadership style, thus
improving him. His styles are the main
criteria for success.
2- As projects are unique and vary in complexity thus leadership
style varies depending on the project
and stakeholders and deliverables
3- Shifting the leadership towards a more intensive participatory
leadership style is recommended,
where participatory leadership, the leader provides a flexible and
adaptive environment to
employees in the decision-making process, and the project executive
can set up a mentoring
relationship with all members of the company.
4- Preferred leadership style for the project manager and higher
managers require a focus on the control
that tend towards an autocratic, boss-centered leadership style,
but superintendents to work may
consider the participatory-to-autocratic way
5- Collaborations must function at various levels since the
construction industry is a pre-planned
activity that aims to minimize waste, time, and costs, the need for
interpersonal skills to deal with
the many different stakeholders and departments they work.
6- Qualified professionals to have continued leadership education
and professional growth and
advancement with the enhancement of societal value. ( Jung et al.,
2014)
Further Recommendations and Limitations
1- CIOB (2007) recommends that construction companies invest more
in leadership development
programs tailored specifically for the construction industry
professionals, through education and
training, work experience, mentoring schemes d secondment
programs.
2- Find the leaders of the future, and rewarding and celebrating
success through positive working
cultures, break down any organizational barriers, ad supply
opportunities for leadership potential.
3- Effective and successful leaders must promote self-motivation
inspiration
4- Adopt Authentic leadership development that is unbiased, not
denying, distorting, exaggerating, nor
ignoring specialized knowledge, in subjective experiences, and
externally based self-evaluative
information.
5- Behavior by valuing and achieving openness and truthfulness in
relationships.
6- Leaders with a good comprehension of cultural sensitivities,
highly motivated, self-aware,
understand the demands of the project, act for the project a
success for all stakeholders, with high
levels of INT a deep sense of purpose, courage to move forward,
passion, and skill of leadership
7- Supervisors also have a vital role, so the leadership at all
levels needed
Future studies should consider:
1. Personal demographics of project leaders, such as gender, age,
ethnicity, nationality, education,
work experience, and job level,
2. Organizational culture, type of organization (such as
developers, contractors, architects, and
engineers),
3. Size of the organization,
4. The focus of corporate activity (such as building and civil
engineering).
30
Conclusion
From the above study, it saw that implementation of partnership and
collaboration based on mutual interests
needed, and the unpredictable environment demands that
organizations abandon the classical authority-
based hierarchy that has dominated relationships between superiors
and subordinates for decades.
As individual initiative and entrepreneurship arguably become more
critical to organizational success than
a prescriptive, control-oriented, mode of operation, the concept of
coaching has emerged as a new paradigm
or metaphor for management. In contrast to a traditional
command-and-control form of managerial
supervision, coaching characterized by an emphasis on constructive
and developmental feedback for
improving employee work performance(Kooskora, 2014).
The traditional behavior of construction project managers that is
primarily due to several factors that are
inherent in the construction industry, must be transformed to meet
challenges facing the construction
industry. There is a need for a shift in the way project managers
function and lead projects. They need to
develop as authentic leaders to operate in the increasingly
complex, successfully working environment.
The pressure on project managers to do more with fewer people and
resources has to address by expanding
participation in the construction industry in organizational
leadership will benefit industry by enhancing its
appeal to the next generation of leaders (Anderson, 2018).
31
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