Leadership competency profiles of successful project managers

This study examines the leadership competency profiles of successful project managers in different types of projects. Four hundred responses to the Leadership Development Questionnaire (LDQ) were used to profile the intellectual, managerial and emotional competences (IQ, MQ and EQ, respectively) of project managers of successful projects. Differences by project type were accounted for through categorization of projects by their application type (engineering & construction, information & telecommunication technology, organizational change), complexity, importance and contract type. Results indicate high expressions of one IQ sub-dimension (i.e. critical thinking) and three EQ sub-dimensions (i.e. influence, motivation and conscientiousness) in successful managers in all types of projects. Other sub-dimensions varied by project type. Comparison was made to existing profiles for goal oriented, involving and engaging leadership styles. Implications derived are the need for practitioners to be trained in the soft factors of leadership, particular for their types of projects. Theoretical implications include the need for more transactional styles in relatively simple projects and more transformational leadership styles in complex projects.     

Positive Psychological Capital as a Source of Sustainable Competitive Advantage for Organizations

Psychological capital (PsyCap) has gained prominence as an important construct in leadership research. Comprising four factors (self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and resiliency), PsyCap is considered to be a vital factor for authentic leadership development and influence. The current study reports the results of a questionnaire survey that was conducted in the construction industry of Singapore. The survey explored the correlations of PsyCap with authenticity, leadership, and leadership outcomes. The results show that PsyCap significantly correlates with authenticity and transformational leadership. It was also found that transformational leadership plays a mediating role for PsyCap to predict leadership outcomes (effectiveness, extra effort, and satisfaction). The discussion in the paper also considers the implications of PsyCap for leadership development and effectiveness in general and in the context of the construction industry.     

浅论包装的包装

从包装市场产品营销的角度出发论述包装的“包装”所必须重视的几个问题,即包装必须具有鲜明的个性．包装必须要为突出企业的形象服务,包装必须适应顾客的消费心理,包装必须注意同其他促销手段的联合运用等。     

High reliability leadership: A conceptual framework

Although it is assumed that leaders can be extremely important in enhancing safe operations, little is known about how they actually contribute to high reliability organizing. This study proposes a conceptual framework for leadership in High Reliability Organizations (HROs) based on theory and previous empirical research. It identifies leadership behaviours that contribute to six organizing facets in HROs, from which two leadership behavioural categories are extracted: leading expansion and leading reaction. Behaviours included in both categories might be potentially beneficial practices for leaders working in high‐hazard industries. The framework provides the basis for future theory development and debate.     

Perceptual Control: Leading Uncontrollable People

ABSTRACT

The leadership challenge is to guide, coordinate, direct, and, yes, control outcomes from combined efforts of associates while allowing them to direct and control themselves. This final article in a series focuses on the hierarchical nature of human experience and extends the application of hierarchical perceptual control theory (HPCT) to several leadership issues. The testable principles of HPCT have enabled the operation of our nervous system to be demonstrated in working models. The explanation HPCT offers for human behavior can be the foundation for successes of modern engineering management.     

The IT Value Hierarchy: Using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as a Metaphor for Gauging the Maturity Level of Information Technology Use within Competitive Organizations

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present a hierarchy of progressive IT maturity using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as a metaphor for articulating the increasing value that can be derived by the application of Information Technology within competitive organizations. The authors refer to this maturity model as the IT Value Hierarchy. Each level of the IT Value Hierarchy is described using examples and comparisons to Maslow's Hierarchy. The model can be used by IT executives as a framework for better explaining and discussing the value of increasingly sophisticated Information Technology use within the enterprise.     

Leader emergence in an Internet environment

With the progression of technology, particularly the Internet, it is becoming increasingly important for organizations, both business and academic, to effectively use the Internet for research and data collection. In this study, leaderless discussions conducted completely in an Internet environment were used to study how individuals emerged as leaders. The study assessed leaderless discussion variables as well as Internet process variables such as emoticons, web-based initializations, and technical speak as predictors of leader emergence. Traditional leaderless discussion variables were not predictive while many of the Internet process variables were found to have strong positive relationships with leader emergence.     

An Evaluation of Technology Acquisition Via OEM Relationships

ABSTRACT

This article is a summary of technology acquisition experiences based on original equipment manufacture (OEM) arrangements across various AT&;T projects. These experiences show that OEM relationships that use off the shelf products often provide quickest market entry. On the other hand, OEM relationships that do not use off the shelf products characteristically require significant internal development staffing, equivalent or longer development schedules, and higher overall risks. The three key attributes of successful OEM relationships were observed to be the existence of a long term strategic product plan; the productization of off-the-shelf OEM products; and contractual arrangements with vendors having a large commitment to product support, linking the vendor's success to that of the company (Principal) distributing the OEM product.     

2010 Index of Articles

Abstract:

This article documents research examining commitment levels and follower behaviors across generations. Behavioral and commitment characteristics were measured and examined for relationships across different generations of employees in technical and non-technical occupations in separate studies. The results of the findings from both studies show relationships across generations in levels of commitment and follower behaviors. The results suggest that technical occupations show more association of follower behaviors and less association of commitment levels. Analysis indicates that non-technical occupations show less association of follower behaviors and more association of commitment levels across generations. Strategies for application in the workplace are provided.     

Editorial

The construction industry provides an interesting research alternative to other sectors because of its unique characteristics. For this reason, this paper aims to explore and compare the leadership styles of managerial personnel in the construction industry. The study focuses on the empirical evaluations of the similarities and differences in leadership styles of construction professionals. A managerial‐style questionnaire is developed based on the review of relevant literature. Questionnaire data obtained from 43 respondents show that the authoritative style is more frequently performed than all other styles. Results also indicate differences in terms of gender and managerial hierarchy. Implications of the results are discussed.