Assessing the impact of project managers’ soft skill competencies on project performance in the South African construction industry.
Boikanyo, Kgomotsego
Boikanyo, Kgomotsego
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Abstract
Project management standards have traditionally emphasized technical expertise, methodologies, and processes to achieve successful projects. However, research reveals that soft skills such as leadership, communication, and emotional intelligence also critically impact project outcomes. Studies indicate that flawed soft skills frequently undermine results through unclear objectives, strained stakeholder relations, and disengaged teams. Yet limited research explores which soft competencies have the greatest influence. Such a gap spurs the need to investigate high-impact soft skills. The construction industry suffers from high project failure rates, affirming the urgency of examining soft skills’ role in project success. This research aimed to determine the effect of South African construction project managers’ foundational soft skills on performance, focusing on communication, teamwork, and coordination competencies. An exhaustive literature review establishes that technical knowledge alone is insufficient; sophisticated social capabilities prove pivotal for unlocking teams’ full potential and optimizing expertise application. Conceptual models posit that leaders’ attributes and practices shape critical processes driving results. Studies reveal that transparent communication provides shared understanding essential for fluid coordination and cohesive teamwork. Specific soft skills empirically link to over 10% higher productivity, quality, timeliness, and stakeholder satisfaction. Sustained soft skills development promises compounding performance gains over time. Cross-disciplinary evidence affirms that
purposefully cultivating human-centered competencies alongside technical qualifications offers a considerable leadership advantage. This study provides robust confirmation that communication, teamwork, and coordination represent multidimensional soft skills enabling project excellence when applied adeptly.
Description
Research report also known as a mini-thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Building Sciences (MBSC17), in the Department of Building Sciences within the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the Tshwane University Of Technology.
Date
2023-11-23
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Tshwane University of Technology
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Keywords
Project Management, Project Manager, Project Performance, Soft Skills