Leadership research in the construction industry: A review of empirical work and possible future directions

Abstract

Researchers have traditionally focused on technical and managerial features of construction projects and have largely ignored the subject of leadership. However, recent interest in the subject has resulted in global research initiatives that aspire to understand leadership in a more holistic manner. To further the research on the subject, it is important to review the existing body of knowledge and draft a road map for the future. For this purpose, a review of empirical works on leadership in the construction industry is reported in this paper. Findings reveal that most empirical studies focus on behavioural dimensions of leadership while ignoring numerous important dimensions, particularly leadership development. For future research, leadership studies need to improve quality in terms of research design, level of analysis, developmental perspective of leadership and objective measurement of leadership outcomes. Along with past and ongoing research trends, a brief agenda is discussed for further research in the area of leadership in the construction industry.