The impact of leadership styles on team performance in information communication technology projects

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on the influence that leadership styles have on team success in Information Communication Technology (ICT) projects. It is believed that leadership styles have an influence on team operations as well as team performance. The latest technological advancement might have made it much easier to succeed in executing the Information Communication Technology projects, but the ICT sector is experiencing a high rate of ICT project failure. Almost all project leaders are professional and experienced and yet the failure rate is still huge. It is also a challenging task to run effective ICT projects because the project leaders lack the requisite skills and knowledge. Depending on this, leadership styles must be analyzed to see if they can influence team building and team performance positively. The population comprises a total of 490 people in the South Africa National Defence Force who are working in information and communication technology projects within the Information Technology Department, who are project managers, technical officers, warrant officers, senior officers, junior officers and non-commissioned officers. Due to their direct involvement with ICT projects, the targeted population were able to provide detailed information. As a method to gather data to answer the research questions, a questionnaire was developed. A questionnaire comprising three sections was used to collect the required details, which included the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The first section covered the biography, gathering information about the respondents and their willingness take an overview interest in the survey. The second section concentrated on the Likert scale dealing with the beliefs, emotions, and behaviours. The third section was open ended, allowing for discussions, viewpoints or issues deemed to be important. The results clearly recognize that openness, intelligence, social competence and cognitive ability are essential components in the effective management of ICT projects. So, what conclusions did you make and any recommendations for policy and practice?