Linking public leadership and public project success: the mediating role of team building

Project success in the public sector is a critical concern, given high failure rates. While mainstream leadership styles have been linked to project success, research on public sector-specific leadership styles is lacking. This study addresses this gap by exploring the impact of public leadership, characterized by accountability, rule-following, political loyalty, and network governance, on project success. The researchers posit that public leadership influences project outcomes directly and indirectly through its effect on team building. The context is particularly relevant due to the high failure rate of public sector projects in many countries, including Pakistan. The study uses Social Information Processing (SIP) theory as its theoretical framework. SIP theory suggests that individuals' attitudes and behaviors are shaped by information cues from their environment, and since leaders hold high status and power, subordinates' actions are influenced by their perception of leadership behaviors. This study argues that the attributes of public leadership – accountability, rule-following, political loyalty, and network governance – can shape team attitudes and behaviors, ultimately leading to project success. For example, accountability improves communication and expertise sharing, rule-following ensures adherence to plans, political loyalty inspires team commitment, and network governance facilitates collaboration. The study aims to empirically test the relationships between public leadership, team building, and project success, with a focus on the mediating role of team building.

The literature review examines existing research on project success, leadership styles, and team building. It highlights the high failure rates of public sector projects and the importance of leadership as a critical success factor. While numerous studies link mainstream leadership styles like transformational, ethical, servant, and inclusive leadership to project success, there's a lack of research on the impact of public sector-specific leadership styles. The study introduces the concept of 'public leadership' with its four dimensions: accountability leadership, rule-following leadership, political loyalty leadership, and network governance leadership. It emphasizes the need for empirical investigation into the connection between public leadership and project outcomes, specifically project success and team building. Existing research supports the positive relationship between various leadership styles and project success, often mediated by factors such as team building and trust. The review emphasizes the scarcity of empirical evidence linking public leadership to project success and team building within public agencies.

The study employed an online descriptive survey using a quantitative approach. The target population was project managers and their subordinates in public sector organizations within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Data was collected from 612 project managers, resulting in 436 matched pairs of manager-subordinate responses (a 71% response rate). Three instruments were used: one to measure public leadership (11 items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.93), another to measure project success (14 items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.90), and a third to measure team building (6 items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.91). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to validate the three-factor model. Linear regression analysis and mediation model 4 (using the SPSS PROCESS macro) were employed to test the hypotheses. Demographic variables such as gender, age, education, and experience were used as control variables. The study employed several statistical techniques to analyze the collected data. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to assess the validity and reliability of the measurement model, ensuring that the items used to measure each construct (public leadership, project success, and team building) were appropriately measuring the intended concepts. Harman's single-factor test was conducted to assess the potential impact of common method bias (CMB). Linear regression analysis was performed to test the direct relationships between the variables, and mediation model 4 in the PROCESS macro was used to examine the mediating role of team building in the relationship between public leadership and project success. The study carefully controlled for demographic factors that might influence project success. The use of bootstrapping in the mediation analysis adds robustness to the findings by providing a more accurate assessment of the indirect effect of public leadership on project success through team building.

The CFA results showed a good fit for the three-factor model (public leadership, project success, team building). Harman's single-factor test indicated no significant common method bias. Regression analysis and mediation model 4 testing revealed the following: 1. **H1 supported:** Public leadership is positively associated with project success (β = 0.26, p < 0.001). 2. **H2 supported:** Public leadership is positively associated with team building (β = 0.29, p < 0.001). 3. **H3 supported:** Team building is positively associated with project success (β = 0.28, p < 0.001). 4. **H4 supported:** Team building partially mediates the relationship between public leadership and project success (β = 0.12, p < 0.001). The indirect effect of public leadership on project success through team building was significant, confirmed by both bootstrapping (95% CI [0.25, 0.48]) and Sobel's test (SE = 0.04, t = 3.06, p < 0.001). Controlling for demographic variables (gender, age, education, and experience), the direct effect of public leadership on project success remained significant, indicating partial mediation. The results showed strong correlations between the three constructs. The study's findings are consistent across various analytical methods, adding to their credibility. The use of the PROCESS macro provides a robust statistical approach to analyzing mediation, considering the potential for both direct and indirect effects.

The findings confirm the significant positive influence of public leadership on project success, both directly and indirectly through team building. This supports the study's hypotheses and contributes to existing knowledge by extending the concept of public leadership to project management and team-based research in the public sector. The mediating role of team building highlights the importance of fostering strong teams for achieving project goals. This research is especially timely in the public management context given the scarcity of research on the connections between public leadership and project outcomes. The results underscore the importance of cultivating leadership attributes like accountability, rule-following, political loyalty, and network governance to improve project outcomes. The strong positive correlations between the study variables validate the theoretical framework and strengthen the conclusions. The inclusion of control variables enhances the study's internal validity, minimizing the impact of confounding factors. The partial mediation effect suggests that while public leadership directly influences project success, a considerable portion of its impact is realized through team building.

This study demonstrates a significant and positive relationship between public leadership, team building, and project success in the public sector. The mediating role of team building highlights its importance in translating public leadership into successful project outcomes. The findings offer valuable theoretical and practical implications for public sector project management. Future research should explore the specific dimensions of public leadership and project success to refine the model further and use longitudinal studies to assess the stability of the relationships.

The study relied on self-reported data, which may be subject to social desirability bias and common method variance. While measures were taken to mitigate these issues (emphasizing confidentiality and using multiple sources of data), these limitations should be acknowledged. Future research might employ mixed-methods approaches, including qualitative data to provide richer insights and longitudinal studies to observe the dynamic relationships between the variables over time. The study's focus on a specific region in Pakistan limits the generalizability of the findings to other contexts. Future research should replicate the study in diverse settings to confirm its external validity.