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The effect of leader emotional intelligence on leader-follower chemistry: A study of construction project managers

Pryke, S; Lunic, D; Badi, SM; (2015) The effect of leader emotional intelligence on leader-follower chemistry: A study of construction project managers. Construction Management and Economics , 33 (8) pp. 603-624. 10.1080/01446193.2015.1078901. Green open access

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Abstract

Extending Nicolini’s (2002) notion of project ‘chemistry’, this paper proposes the development of a ‘leader-follower chemistry’ model associated with the quality of dyadic interpersonal communication in construction projects. The paper focuses on the project manager as leader and attempts to deepen understanding of the effect of a project manager’s Emotional Intelligence (EI) on the quality of interpersonal communication with their followers- being other members of the project team. While a project manager’s EI, with its associated emotional competencies, is often seen as critical in achieving good relationships with members of the project team, it remains a largely understudied concept, particularly in construction projects. Primary data collected using a series of analytical surveys and live observations of site-based projects meetings were used to examine the relationship between a project manager’s emotional competencies, particularly sensitivity and expressiveness, and leader-follower chemistry. Overall, 68 construction professionals participated in the study. The findings suggest that a project manager’s emotional sensitivity and expressiveness (particularly head gestures) may explain variance in the quality of leader-follower chemistry. Based on the empirical evidence in the context of team communication, a leader-follower chemistry model is introduced, which emphasises the importance of leaders’ emotional sensitivity and expressiveness in a leader-follower communication dyad. The model may be particularly salient in complex project networks with a large number of prominent actors.

Type: Article
Title: The effect of leader emotional intelligence on leader-follower chemistry: A study of construction project managers
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1080/01446193.2015.1078901
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2015.1078901
Language: English
Additional information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Construction Management and Economics on 11 September 2015, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/01446193.2015.1078901.
Keywords: Construction sector, expressiveness, leader–follower chemistry, project manager, specific emotional ability approaches.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > The Bartlett Sch of Const and Proj Mgt
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1470242
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