How Project Managers’ Leadership Traits Affect Project Group Behaviour In Engineering Consulting Firms In Zimbabwe

Leadership is one of the aspects that influence project group behaviour as well as individual behaviour.The leader’s traits are pivotal in creating a conducive working environment.In this paper,the researcher explored project manager’s leadership traits in engineering consulting firms in Zimbabwe specifically looking at Zimbabwe as the study area.The aim of this study was to find out how project managers’ leadership traits affect project group behaviour in engineering consulting firms in Zimbabwe.The researcher used close ended questions and semi-structured interviews to capture research data from a random sample of 310 which was calculated at 95%confidence interval.The research instruments were employed following random sampling and they were employed concurrently.Qualitative research methods were employed to complement quantitative responses.The sample was made up of engineering consulting firms’ employees.The researcher found out that project managers’leadership interpersonal traits had a significant relationship with project group behaviour.The researcher further found out that theory application traits of project managers had a significant impact on project group behaviour of 63.5%.On the other hand,theory application traits of project managers had a moderately strong impact on individual behaviour.85%of the respondents mentioned that this improved employee performance and 63%said that it leads to greater employee morale and confidence.Lastly,personal traits had a significant and strong correlation with project group behaviour of 89.1%,and a significant moderately positive correlation with individual behaviour of 58.1%.53%of the team member did not commit fully to their jobs and tasks hence this resulted in project group inefficiencies.The lack of relations between the project managers and team member created division and groupings within an organisation as mentioned by 43%respondents.62%of the respondents felt less attached to the organisation since the superiors override their decisions and place them in their best interest hence there was project group unit.