Title: Project manager skills for improving project performance

Authors: Riza Yosia Sunindijo

Addresses: Faculty of the Built Environment, UNSW Australia, UNSW Sydney NSW 2052, Australia

Abstract: Project managers have multifaceted responsibilities that significantly affect project success. Previous research has identified four skills of effective project managers, namely, conceptual, human, political, and technical skills, along with their 16 skill components. The aim of this paper is to determine skill components that influence time, cost, and quality performance in construction projects. Data were collected from 107 project managers using a questionnaire survey method. The analysis results show that interpersonal influence has positive relationship with project time performance. Project cost performance is influenced by four skill components, namely, emotional intelligence, interpersonal skill, apparent sincerity, and budgeting. Lastly, project quality performance is affected by eight skill components, which include visioning, emotional intelligence, interpersonal skill, transformational leadership, interpersonal influence, apparent sincerity, quality management, and document and contract administration. Construction organisations may use the finding as a guideline to appoint project managers with the 'right' skill profile or to focus their human resource development on skills that are important for project success.

Keywords: construction industry; project management skills; project managers; project performance; time performance; cost performance; quality performance; project success; budgeting; visioning; emotional intelligence; transformational leadership; interpersonal influence; apparent sincerity; quality management; document administration; contract administration.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBPM.2015.066041

International Journal of Business Performance Management, 2015 Vol.16 No.1, pp.67 - 83

Received: 21 Feb 2014
Accepted: 28 Aug 2014

Published online: 09 May 2015 *

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