Examining the Role of Leadership Style on Team Performance in the Construction Site of Sikkim

Abstract

In the construction sector, where collaboration is crucial in intricate and changing settings, leadership has a significant impact on project outcomes. The impact of transactional, transformational, laissez-faire, autocratic, bureaucratic, charismatic, democratic, strategic, and coach-style leadership philosophies on construction project team performance is investigated in this study. The study assesses how different approaches affect team members, project managers, project engineers, and communication, motivation, and project success using survey and case data. While transactional leadership works well for guaranteeing task completion under time limitations, the data indicate that bureaucratic leadership improves team cohesion and overall project performance. Conversely, ineffective teams and subpar project results are linked to democratic leadership. These results emphasize how critical it is to use adaptable leadership techniques that consider team dynamics and project requirements. By providing useful suggestions for leadership development programs targeted at creating high-performance teams, the study advances construction management research. It also implies that adaptable leadership techniques are essential to long-term success in project settings.

Introduction

The construction industry is highly complex, involving diverse stakeholders, tight schedules, and financial constraints, where effective leadership is crucial for project success. Leadership influences team performance, dispute resolution, and achievement of project goals. Beyond technical skills and planning, leadership that engages and motivates teams is essential, improving communication, teamwork, safety, and innovation.

This study explores how different leadership styles—such as autocratic, democratic, strategic, bureaucratic, laissez-faire, charismatic, coach-style, transactional, and transformational—affect construction project outcomes like budget, schedule, quality, safety, and team satisfaction. Each style has distinct strengths and weaknesses in construction contexts. For example, bureaucratic leadership, which emphasizes strict rules and consistency, ranks highest in effectiveness in this study, while democratic leadership, focusing on collective decision-making, was rated lower.

The research used a mixed-methods approach involving surveys and interviews with workers and supervisors across nine construction sites in Sikkim, covering various project complexities. It revealed demographic insights (majority male, many with low education levels) and highlighted the importance of leadership tailored to workforce characteristics and project demands.

A literature review identified gaps in past research, such as over-focus on single leadership styles, lack of real project data, and insufficient consideration of project context and external factors. This study addresses these gaps by comparing multiple leadership styles across diverse projects.

Results showed bureaucratic leadership was most favored for its consistency and clarity, aligning with the need for stability in construction management, especially in regions like Sikkim. Other leadership styles showed mixed but generally positive perceptions. The findings underscore the importance of adaptable, context-aware leadership to meet evolving challenges in the construction sector.

Conclusion

We learned about the drawbacks of this survey, which have a significant impact on leadership styles and project performance and outcomes. There are advantages and disadvantages to each style, and how well it works depends largely on the project\'s nature, team dynamics, and specific issues that arise during implementation. For instance, in situations requiring quick decisions, autocratic leadership may be effective; yet, democratic leadership fosters teamwork and new approaches to problem-solving, which can lead to creative solutions. While transformational leadership encourages and motivates teams to surpass objectives and improve project performance, transactional leadership focuses on assigned responsibilities and rewards to achieve efficiency and meet deadlines. If not handled carefully, laissez-faire leadership might lead to a lack of direction, but it works well when team members are self-motivated and professional. The quality, effectiveness, and general success of project delivery will ultimately be greatly impacted by the capacity to comprehend and adapt leadership styles to the demands of the team and project.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Devendra Sharma, Nirjara Chettri, Dawa Gyalmo Lepcha, Kokila Hingmang Darjee, Benedic Kapil Chettri. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.