From Blueprint to Reality: Empowering Construction Project Performance through Project Manager Competencies, Team Performance, and Stakeholder engagement
Abstract
The construction sector is under increasing pressure to enhance project performance, particularly through strengthening project manager competencies (PMC). Although the importance of managerial competencies has been widely acknowledged, limited research has examined how PMC influence project performance (PP) through underlying organizational mechanisms. This study addresses this gap by investigating the direct effect of PMC on PP and the mediating roles of team performance (TP) and stakeholder engagement (SE).
A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 288 project team members in Pakistan’s construction sector. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that PMC have a significant positive effect on PP. Furthermore, TP and SE significantly mediate this relationship, highlighting the critical role of effective team dynamics and proactive stakeholder involvement in translating managerial competencies into improved project outcomes.
This study contributes to the literature by integrating the Resource-Based View and stakeholder theory to explain the mechanisms linking managerial competencies to project performance. The findings provide practical implications for construction firms and policymakers by emphasizing the strategic importance of developing managerial competencies, strengthening team collaboration, and enhancing stakeholder engagement across the project lifecycle.
Keywords: Project manager competencies; Project performance; Team performance; Stakeholder engagement; Resource-Based View; Stakeholder theory; Construction industry.
Full Text:
PDFReferences
John Annor, Francois Jacobs, Ahmed Abdelaty, Theodore Haupt. Economic Contributions of the Construction Sector: A Comparative Analysis of Workforce and Financing Factors Across Regions. , , : 643–631. https://doi.org/10.29007/j1j9
Jeferson Carvalho Alvarenga, Robson Rosa Branco, André Luis Azevedo Guedes, Carlos Alberto Pereira Soares, Wainer Da Silveira E Silva. The project manager core competencies to project success. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 2019, 13(2): 277–292. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-12-2018-0274
Ashok Rehan, David Thorpe, Amirhossein Heravi. Project success factors for leadership practices and communication: challenges in the construction sector. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 2024, 17(3): 562–590. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-12-2023-0279
Adnan Mohammad Al-Naghi, Wael Alaghbari, Tarik Barakat. Impact of leadership skills on the success of large and medium construction projects management in Yemen. International Journal of Construction Management, 2025, 25(11): 1346–1356. https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2024.2417340
Aqeel Siddiqui, Bushra Qureshi, Muhammad Shaukat. Project Manager’s Competencies as Catalysts for Project Success: The Mediating Role of Functional Manager Involvement and Stakeholder Engagement. International Journal of Organizational Leadership, 2024, 13(First Special Issue 2024): 53–78. https://doi.org/10.33844/ijol.2024.603416
Ahmed Mohammed Abdelalim, Maram Salem, Mohamed Salem, Manal Al-Adwani, Mohamed Tantawy. An Analysis of Factors Contributing to Cost Overruns in the Global Construction Industry. Buildings, 2024, 15(1): 18. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15010018
Maryam Abolghasemi, M.K.S. Al-Mhdawi, Farzad Rahimian, Abroon Qazi. Exploring the nexus of stakeholder management, project performance and stakeholder satisfaction in Malaysian residential building projects: a PLS-SEM approach. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2024, : . https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-03-2024-0367
Hong Xue, Shoujian Zhang, Yikun Su, Zezhou Wu, Rebecca Jing Yang. Effect of stakeholder collaborative management on off-site construction cost performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018, 184: 490–502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.258
Masoud Aghajani, Gesa Ruge, Kam Jugdev. An Integrative Review of Project Portfolio Management Literature: Thematic Findings on Sustainability Mindset, Assessment, and Integration. Project Management Journal, 2023, 54(6): 629–650. https://doi.org/10.1177/87569728231172668
M. Jayaweera, B. A. K. S. Perera, T. N. Liyanawatta. Use of Emotional Intelligence to Enhance the Leadership Skills of Project Managers in Construction: A Qualitative Delphi Study. Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction, 2025, 17(3): 04525011. https://doi.org/10.1061/JLADAH.LADR-1246
Woramol Chaowarat Watanabe, Muhammad Shafiq, M. Javid Nawaz, Irfan Saleem, Sonia Nazeer. The impact of emotional intelligence on project success: Mediating role of team cohesiveness and moderating role of organizational culture. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 2024, 16: 18479790241232508. https://doi.org/10.1177/18479790241232508
Lincoln Sposito, Isabel Cristina Scafuto, Fernando Ribeiro Serra, Manuel Portugal Ferreira. Influence of the project managers’ expertise and experience in the success of projects: the moderating effect of emotional intelligence. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 2024, 17(1): 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-06-2023-0129
Sina Moradi, Kalle Kähkönen, Kirsi Aaltonen. Comparison of research and industry views on project managers’ competencies. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 2020, 13(3): 543–572. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-04-2019-0085
Ignacio Pavez, Hugo Gómez, Canlong Liu, Vicente A. González. Measuring project team performance: A review and conceptualization. International Journal of Project Management, 2022, 40(8): 951–971. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2022.11.001
Francesca Iandolo, Antonio La Sala, Lorenzo Turriziani, Francesco Caputo. Stakeholder engagement in managing systemic risk management. Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility, 2025, 34(4): 1069–1085. https://doi.org/10.1111/beer.12694
Mohammad Bilal Shaukat, Khawaja Fawad Latif, Aymen Sajjad, Gabriel Eweje. Revisiting the relationship between sustainable project management and project success: The moderating role of stakeholder engagement and team building. Sustainable Development, 2022, 30(1): 58–75. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2228
Faisal Alshammari, Khairulzan Yahya, Zaiton Haron. A conceptual approach in developing a project manager’s skills framework (PMSF) for improving the performance of complex projects in Kuwait construction industry. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 2020, 849(1): 012007. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/849/1/012007
Munther Al‐Nimer, Muhammad Sualeh Khattak, Qiang Wu, Rizwan Ullah. Unlocking sustainable project management: The role of project managers’ competencies in resource bricolage from a stakeholder engagement perspective. Business Strategy & Development, 2024, 7(3): e408. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.408
Widhi Setya Wahyudhi, Lim Sanny, Boto Simatupang, Asnan Furinto. The role of asset management on project performance moderated by environmental dynamism on Indonesia’s mining project. Uncertain Supply Chain Management, 2024, 12(4): 2123–2136. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.uscm.2024.7.003
André Barcaui, André Monat. Who is better in project planning?Generative artificial intelligence or project managers?. Project Leadership and Society, 2023, 4: 100101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2023.100101
Van Luy Tong, Truong Van Luu. Utilising the European foundation for quality management model to assess the impact of project implementation enablers on construction project performance. Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, 2025, : 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/13467581.2025.2493094
Qi Zhang, Shengyue Hao. Construction Project Manager’s Emotional Intelligence and Team Effectiveness: The Mediating Role of Team Cohesion and the Moderating Effect of Time. Frontiers in Psychology, 2022, 13: 845791. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.845791
Nelsen A. Rahul. Strategic Alignment of Emotional Intelligence with Project Management: A Framework for Enhancing Project Success and Team Performance. American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 2024, 14(04): 553–577. https://doi.org/10.4236/ajibm.2024.144028
Kaiyang Wang, Fangyu Guo, Cheng Zhang, Dirk Schaefer. From Industry 4.0 to Construction 4.0: barriers to the digital transformation of engineering and construction sectors. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2024, 31(1): 136–158. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-05-2022-0383
Jay Barney. Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management, 1991, 17(1): 99–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700108
Riazulhaq Fazly, Nafla Raees, Muhammad Qaiser Shafi, Shakir Iqbal, Muhammad Javid Nawaz. Impact of project planning and project risk management on project success: moderating role of project managers’ competencies in the construction sector in Afghanistan. Journal of Humanities, Social and Management Sciences (JHSMS), 2024, 5(2): 1–20. https://doi.org/10.47264/idea.jhsms/5.2.1
Denise R. Simmons, Cassandra McCall, Nicholas A. Clegorne. Leadership Competencies for Construction Professionals as Identified by Construction Industry Executives. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 2020, 146(9): 04020109. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001903
Mehwish Majeed, Muhammad Irshad, Ikram Khan, Imran Saeed. The Impact of Team Mindfulness on Project Team Performance: The Moderating Role of Effective Team Leadership. Project Management Journal, 2023, 54(2): 162–178. https://doi.org/10.1177/87569728221140807
SHRIHARSHA, Jagadeesha B Pai, Sumukh S Hungund. Enhancing decision-making in construction projects – The mediating role of adaptability and response strategy in supply chain and coordination dynamics. Results in Engineering, 2025, 27: 106193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2025.106193
Dominic D. Ahiaga-Dagbui, Olubukola Tokede, John Morrison, Anthony Chirnside. Building high-performing and integrated project teams. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2020, 27(10): 3341–3361. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-04-2019-0186
R. Edward Freeman, Prem Sagar Menghwar, Yael Grushka-Cockayne. A stakeholder theory perspective for project management. International Journal of Project Management, 2025, 43(7): 102764. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2025.102764
Amir Bahadorestani, Jan Terje Karlsen, Nasser Motahari Farimani. Novel Approach to Satisfying Stakeholders in Megaprojects: Balancing Mutual Values. Journal of Management in Engineering, 2020, 36(2): 04019047. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000734
Jere Lehtinen, Kirsi Aaltonen. Organizing external stakeholder engagement in inter-organizational projects: Opening the black box. International Journal of Project Management, 2020, 38(2): 85–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2019.12.001
R. Edward Freeman, Sergiy D. Dmytriyev, Robert A. Phillips. Stakeholder Theory and the Resource-Based View of the Firm. Journal of Management, 2021, 47(7): 1757–1770. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206321993576
Cui Yong, Saba Fazal Firdousi, Ayesha Afzal, Viktorija Florjančič, Minahil Awais. The Influence of Internal and External Stakeholder Mechanisms on Entrepreneurial Success: The Moderating Role of Digital Technology Adoption. Frontiers in Psychology, 2022, 12: 821725. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.821725
Rebecca Kassa, Ibilola Ogundare, Brian Lines, Jake B. Smithwick, Nancy J. Kepple, Kenneth T. Sullivan. Developing a construct to measure contractor project manager performance competencies. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2025, 32(3): 2003–2021. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-12-2022-1122
Marcelle Cury Rodrigues, Luísa Domingues, João Pedro Oliveira. Tailoring: a case study on the application of the seventh principle of PMBOK 7 in a public institution.. Procedia Computer Science, 2023, 219: 1735–1743. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2023.01.468
Shakir Iqbal, Muhammad Javid Nawaz, Arshad Ali, Esam Osman, Ameer Hamza. Investigating the Impact of Project Planning on Construction Project Success through the Mediating Role of Risk Management and Safety Climate. International Journal of Organizational Leadership, 2024, 13(First Special Issue 2024): 119–139. https://doi.org/10.33844/ijol.2024.60426
Feiyang Wei, Bon‐Gang Hwang, Hanjing Zhu, Jasmine Ngo. Project management for sustainable development: Critical determinants of technological competency for project managers with smart technologies. Sustainable Development, 2024, 32(4): 3654–3677. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2869
Samrakshya Karki, Bonaventura Hadikusumo. Machine learning for the identification of competent project managers for construction projects in Nepal. Construction Innovation, 2023, 23(1): 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1108/CI-08-2020-0139
Muhammad Irfan, Raja Abubakar Khalid, Syyed Sami Ul Haq Kaka Khel, Ahsen Maqsoom, Imran Khan Sherani. Impact of work–life balance with the role of organizational support and job burnout on project performance. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2023, 30(1): 154–171. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-04-2021-0316
Jennjou Chen, Tsui-Fang Lin. Gender composition and team performance: evidence from a randomized experiment. Applied Economics Letters, 2025, 32(15): 2121–2125. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504851.2024.2332545
Hong Min Zhang, Heap-Yih Chong, Yu Zeng, Wei Zhang. The effective mediating role of stakeholder management in the relationship between BIM implementation and project performance. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2023, 30(6): 2503–2522. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-04-2020-0225
Ram Shankar Uraon, Anshu Chauhan, Rashmi Bharati, Kritika Sahu. Do agile work practices impact team performance through project commitment? Evidence from the information technology industry. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2024, 73(4): 1212–1234. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-03-2023-0114
Taghi Javdani Gandomani, Zeinab Tavakoli, Hazura Zulzalil, Hadi Khosravi Farsani. The Role of Project Manager in Agile Software Teams: A Systematic Literature Review. IEEE Access, 2020, 8: 117109–117121. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3004450
Ayman Mashali, Emad Elbeltagi, Ibrahim Motawa, Mohamed Elshikh. Stakeholder management challenges in mega construction projects: critical success factors. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 2023, 21(2): 358–375. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEDT-09-2021-0483
Tommi Pauna, Jere Lehtinen, Jaakko Kujala, Kirsi Aaltonen. The role of governmental stakeholder engagement in the sustainability of industrial engineering projects. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 2023, 16(8): 77–99. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-09-2022-0197
Gisele Blak Bernat, Eduardo Linhares Qualharini, Marcela Souto Castro, André Baptista Barcaui, Raquel Reis Soares. Sustainability in Project Management and Project Success with Virtual Teams: A Quantitative Analysis Considering Stakeholder Engagement and Knowledge Management. Sustainability, 2023, 15(12): 9834. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129834
Najib AL-Fadhali. An AMOS-SEM approach to evaluating stakeholders’ influence on construction project delivery performance. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2024, 31(2): 638–661. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-09-2021-0780
John W. Creswell. Reflections on the MMIRA The Future of Mixed Methods Task Force Report. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 2016, 10(3): 215–219. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689816650298
Muhammad Javid Nawaz, Aymen Sajjad, Abdul Haseeb Tahir, Muhammad Adnan, Muhammad Umer, Huaming Song. Towards greening smart cities: Navigating net zero carbon in construction by 2050 through sustainable practices, innovation climate, and management support. Sustainable Cities and Society, 2025, 133: 106878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2025.106878
Aqeel Siddiqui, Shakir Iqbal, Muhammad Shaukat, Khawaja Latif. From Coaching Leadership Style to Construction Industry Project Success: Modelling the Mediating Role of Team Building and Goal Clarity. International Journal of Organizational Leadership, 2023, 12(First Special Issue 2023): 142–164. https://doi.org/10.33844/ijol.2023.60377
Gwennan Hâf Barton. Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research (3rd Edition; International Student Edition) by John W. Creswell & Vicki L. Plano Clark. The Cognitive Psychology Bulletin, 2020, 1(5): 88–89. https://doi.org/10.53841/bpscog.2020.1.5.88
Shakir Iqbal, Muhammad Nawaz, Sohail Aslam, Arshad Ali, Muhammad Rehman, Sana Rehman. Impact of Sustainable Leadership on Construction Project Success: Mediating Role of Green Innovation and Organizational Learning. International Journal of Organizational Leadership, 2024, 0(0): 610–631. https://doi.org/10.33844/ijol.2024.60433
Ned Kock. Minimum Sample Size Estimation in PLS-SEM: An Application in Tourism and Hospitality Research. Applying Partial Least Squares in Tourism and Hospitality Research, 2018, : 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78756-699-620181001
Huong Thanh Nguyen, Bonavetura H.W. Hadikusumo. Human resource related factors and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) project success. Journal of Financial Management of Property and Construction, 2018, 23(1): 24–39. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMPC-05-2016-0023
Ronald L. Thompson, H. Jeff Smith, Charalambos L. Iacovou. The linkage between reporting quality and performance in IS projects. Information & Management, 2007, 44(2): 196–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2006.12.004
Jun He, Brian S. Butler, William R. King. Team Cognition: Development and Evolution in Software Project Teams. Journal of Management Information Systems, 2007, 24(2): 261–292. https://doi.org/10.2753/MIS0742-1222240210
Gilberto Francisco De Oliveira, Roque Rabechini Jr. Stakeholder management influence on trust in a project: A quantitative study. International Journal of Project Management, 2019, 37(1): 131–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2018.11.001
Christian M. Ringle, Marko Sarstedt, Rebecca Mitchell, Siegfried P. Gudergan. Partial least squares structural equation modeling in HRM research. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 2020, 31(12): 1617–1643. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1416655
D.A. Aga, N. Noorderhaven, B. Vallejo. Transformational leadership and project success: The mediating role of team-building. International Journal of Project Management, 2016, 34(5): 806–818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2016.02.012
David Gefen, Detmar Straub. A Practical Guide To Factorial Validity Using PLS-Graph: Tutorial And Annotated Example. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 2005, 16: . https://doi.org/10.17705/1CAIS.01605
Gordon W. Cheung, Helena D. Cooper-Thomas, Rebecca S. Lau, Linda C. Wang. Reporting reliability, convergent and discriminant validity with structural equation modeling: A review and best-practice recommendations. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 2024, 41(2): 745–783. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-023-09871-y
Jörg Henseler, Christian M. Ringle, Marko Sarstedt. A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2015, 43(1): 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
Claes Fornell, David F. Larcker. Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error. Journal of Marketing Research, 1981, 18(1): 39–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800104
Joseph F. Hair, Jeffrey J. Risher, Marko Sarstedt, Christian M. Ringle. When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 2019, 31(1): 2–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203
Marzena Podgórska, Magdalena Pichlak. Analysis of project managers’ leadership competencies: Project success relation: what are the competencies of polish project leaders?. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 2019, 12(4): 869–887. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-08-2018-0149
Maryam Elmezain, Wan Hamidon Wan Baduruzzaman, Muhamad Azry Khoiry. The Impact of Project Manager’s Skills and Age on Project Success. Brazilian Journal of Operations & Production Management, 2021, 18(4): 1–16. https://doi.org/10.14488/BJOPM.2021.017
Paola Ochoa Pacheco, David Coello-Montecel, Michelle Tello, Virginia Lasio, Alfredo Armijos. How do project managers’ competencies impact project success? A systematic literature review. PLOS ONE, 2023, 18(12): e0295417. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0295417
Riaz Ahmed, Simon P. Philbin, Osman Sadiq Paracha. Investigating the Impact of Task-Oriented, Relationship-Oriented, and Innovation-Oriented Leadership Competencies on Project Success in Pakistan: A Moderated Model of Multi-Dimensional Senior Management Support. Engineering Management Journal, 2024, 36(1): 42–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/10429247.2023.2186681
Madison H. Munro, Ross J. Gore, Christopher J. Lynch, Yvette D. Hastings, Ann Marie Reinhold. Enhancing risk and crisis communication with computational methods: A systematic literature review. Risk Analysis, 2025, 45(7): 1683–1697. https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.17690
Ernest Kissi, Kofi Agyekum, Theophilus Adjei-Kumi, Debrah Caleb, Ekow Donkor Micheal. Exploring the influence of religious elements on performance factors in developing countries: a case of the Ghanaian construction industry. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2021, 70(7): 1889–1906. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-11-2019-0546
Shazia Nauman, Sabeen Hussain Bhatti, Hassan Imam, Mohammad Saud Khan. How Servant Leadership Drives Project Team Performance Through Collaborative Culture and Knowledge Sharing. Project Management Journal, 2022, 53(1): 17–32. https://doi.org/10.1177/87569728211037777
Hanna Lee. Green ambidexterity and environmental performance: the role of CEO attention to stakeholders as a microfoundation of dynamic capabilities. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 2025, 40(12): 2225–2244. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-01-2024-0018
Andrew Ebekozien, Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa, Mantoa Ramotshela. A qualitative approach to investigate stakeholders’ engagement in construction projects. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 2024, 31(3): 866–883. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-11-2021-0663
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
