AN ASSESSMENT OF SHARED LEADERSHIP AND TEAM PERFORMANCE IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

(A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIA)

By

Author

Presented To

Department of Environmental Design

ABSTRACT
Recently, the concept of shared leadership has begun to receive a level of prominence, especially in other sectors of the economy. Though, of course, prior researches have since proven that teams with shared leadership structure tend to outperform (by a significant measure) those without it, particularly those with traditional vertical leadership structure. Nonetheless, despite the laudable pros derivable from shared leadership and the embellishes it brings to team performance, the Construction industry is yet to fully appreciate its uniqueness and practically embrace its applicability. To address this issue, this research assessed shared leadership and team performance in construction projects in Nigeria by identifying the various metric used in measuring shared leadership and also that of team performance, assessed the extent to which shared leadership is exhibited in construction project team and determined the most influencing factors. Additionally, the research also determined the influence of shared leadership on team performance using the most influencing factors identified. To achieve the objectives, an analysis based on a systematic literature review was undertaken and a questionnaire-based survey was also carried out in addressing what potential constructs that affect the relationship between shared leadership and team performance. Data were collected from 87 team members who have worked and/or currently working as team member(s) on different construction projects within Nigeria and a statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software to appraise the extend of influence shared leadership has on team performance. Findings indicated that when there are; effective communication, healthy mental goal orientation, task efficiency and collaborating influence within members, the team’s overall performance improves outstandingly. The research only covers the outcomes dimension of team performance, hence, other aspects of team performance such as Input and Processes are open for further studies within construction project teams. Implications and areas for further research were also succinctly discussed. Key words: Shared Leadership (SL), Team Performance (TP).