The Effect of Project Managerial and Leadership Competencies on Project Success: An Empirical Study on Jordanian Cellular Telecommunication Companies

1. Introduction

The telecommunications industry in Jordan has experienced substantial growth over the past decade, with increasing competition among the three major cellular operators: Zain Jordan, Orange Jordan, and Umniah. This rapid expansion has led to a significant increase in project activities, ranging from network infrastructure development to service innovation and digital transformation initiatives. As these projects become more complex and strategically important, the role of project managers and their competencies becomes increasingly critical for organizational competitiveness and success.

Project success remains a primary concern for organizations across industries, with numerous studies identifying factors that contribute to successful project outcomes. While technical competencies have traditionally been emphasized in project management standards and frameworks, contemporary research increasingly highlights the importance of leadership competencies in navigating the complex human and organizational dimensions of projects (Mller & Turner, 2010).

Despite the growing body of literature on project management competencies, there remains a notable gap in understanding how these competencies specifically influence project success within the unique context of the Jordanian telecommunications sector. This study aims to address this gap by examining the relationships between both managerial and leadership competencies and multiple dimensions of project success within Jordanian cellular telecommunication companies.

2. Literature Review

2.1 Project Managerial Competencies

Project managerial competencies refer to the technical knowledge, skills, and abilities required to plan, execute, monitor, and control projects effectively (PMI, 2017). These competencies encompass various knowledge areas outlined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), including scope management, schedule management, cost management, Quality Management, risk management, and procurement management.

Previous research has consistently identified these technical competencies as foundational to project success, particularly in technical environments with clear requirements and well-defined processes (Crawford, 2005). These competencies enable project managers to structure work effectively, allocate resources efficiently, and monitor progress against established baselines.

2.2 Leadership Competencies

Leadership competencies encompass the interpersonal and behavioral skills that enable project managers to influence, motivate, and coordinate project stakeholders. These include communication skills, emotional intelligence, team development, conflict management, stakeholder engagement, and decision-making capabilities (Turner & Mller, 2005).

Research indicates that leadership competencies become increasingly important in dynamic project environments with high uncertainty, multiple stakeholders, and cross-cultural teams (Geoghegan & Dulewicz, 2008). In such contexts, the ability to communicate vision, resolve conflicts, and inspire team performance often determines project outcomes more than technical processes alone.

2.3 Project Success Dimensions

Project success has evolved from the traditional "iron triangle" of time, cost, and quality to a multi-dimensional construct that includes stakeholder satisfaction, business value, and strategic alignment (Ika, 2009). For this study, we operationalize project success across five dimensions:

• Time Performance: Completion within planned schedule
• Cost Performance: Delivery within allocated budget
• Quality Performance: Meeting specified quality standards
• Stakeholder Satisfaction: Meeting stakeholder expectations
• Business Impact: Realization of intended business benefits

3. Methodology

This study employs a quantitative approach to examine the relationships between project competencies and project success. The target population includes project managers, team leaders, and senior executives involved in project governance across the three major cellular telecommunication companies in Jordan.

3.1 Data Collection

Data was collected through a structured questionnaire designed to measure project manager competencies and project success. The respondents included project managers (63%), project team leaders (24%), and senior managers involved in project governance (13%). The average project management experience of respondents was 7.2 years.

3.2 Measures

Managerial competencies were measured using 22 items adapted from the Project Management Competency Development Framework (PMI, 2002), covering technical skills across various project management knowledge areas. Leadership competencies were assessed using 25 items based on the Leadership Competency Model developed by Geoghegan and Dulewicz (2008). Project success was measured using 20 items adapted from multi-dimensional project success frameworks (Atkinson, 1999; Ika, 2009).

All items used a 5-point Likert scale ranging from (1) "Strongly Disagree" to (5) "Strongly Agree." The questionnaire was pilot-tested with 15 project management professionals before final distribution to ensure clarity and validity.

4. Findings

4.1 Descriptive Statistics

Descriptive statistics revealed that respondents scored highest on managerial competencies (M = 4.12, SD = 0.63) compared to leadership competencies (M = 3.87, SD = 0.71). Among project success dimensions, quality standards received the highest rating (M = 4.15, SD = 0.58), followed by stakeholder satisfaction (M = 4.02, SD = 0.61).

4.2 Correlation Analysis

Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations between both managerial and leadership competencies and all dimensions of project success:

Project Success Dimension	Managerial Competencies	Leadership Competencies
Time Performance	0.52**	0.46**
Cost Performance	0.57**	0.41**
Quality Performance	0.49**	0.48**
Stakeholder Satisfaction	0.43**	0.58**
Business Impact	0.47**	0.55**

Note: ** p < 0.01

4.3 Regression Analysis

Multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the relative contributions of managerial and leadership competencies to each dimension of project success. The results showed that:

• For time performance, managerial competencies were a stronger predictor ( = 0.38, p < 0.01) than leadership competencies ( = 0.22, p < 0.05). The model explained 35% of variance (R = 0.35).
• For cost performance, managerial competencies demonstrated a stronger influence ( = 0.41, p < 0.01) compared to leadership competencies ( = 0.19, p < 0.05). The model explained 38% of variance (R = 0.38).
• For quality performance, both competencies showed similar predictive power: managerial competencies ( = 0.29, p < 0.01) and leadership competencies ( = 0.31, p < 0.01). The model explained 34% of variance (R = 0.34).
• For stakeholder satisfaction, leadership competencies were the stronger predictor ( = 0.45, p < 0.01) compared to managerial competencies ( = 0.21, p < 0.05). The model explained 42% of variance (R = 0.42).
• For business impact, leadership competencies demonstrated stronger influence ( = 0.39, p < 0.01) than managerial competencies ( = 0.25, p < 0.01). The model explained 39% of variance (R = 0.39).

5. Discussion

The findings indicate that both managerial and leadership competencies significantly influence project success across all measured dimensions, supporting the comprehensive competency framework advocated by PMI (2017). However, the differential impact of these competencies on various success dimensions provides important insights for organizations practicing project management in the telecommunications sector.

The stronger influence of managerial competencies on time and cost performance aligns with the technical nature of these control mechanisms. Managerial competencies such as scheduling techniques, cost estimating, and monitoring and controlling directly address the technical aspects of project execution. This finding confirms previous research emphasizing the importance of technical project management skills for meeting triple constraints (Crawford, 2005).

Conversely, the stronger relationship between leadership competencies and stakeholder satisfaction reflects the interpersonal nature of stakeholder management. Leadership competencies involving communication, expectation management, and relationship building are essential for understanding and addressing diverse stakeholder needs. This finding supports research highlighting the critical role of soft skills in stakeholder management (Mller & Turner, 2010).

The impact of leadership competencies on business impact is particularly noteworthy for telecommunications companies delivering strategic projects. Leadership capabilities such as vision setting, change management, and strategic thinking enable project managers to ensure that projects align with organizational objectives and deliver intended business value. This finding underscores the strategic importance of project managers beyond mere operational control.

For quality performance, both managerial and leadership competencies demonstrated similar influence, suggesting that delivering quality outcomes requires both technical quality management processes and the ability to inspire a quality-oriented culture. This balanced finding supports the integrated approach to quality management advocated in emerging project management practices.

6. Conclusions and Implications

6.1 Theoretical Implications

This study contributes to the project management literature by empirically examining how different competency dimensions differentially impact various aspects of project success. The findings support emerging perspectives on the balanced requirement of technical and leadership capabilities in contemporary project environments. They also extend previous research by examining these relationships within the specific context of the Jordanian telecommunications industry.

6.2 Practical Implications

The findings offer several practical implications for telecommunications companies and other project-intensive organizations:

• Organizations should develop balanced competency development programs that address both technical managerial capabilities and leadership skills.
• For projects with strict time and cost constraints, emphasis should be placed on developing specific managerial competencies such as scheduling expertise and cost control techniques.
• For projects with significant stakeholder complexity or strategic importance, leadership capabilities involving communication, influence, and strategic thinking should be prioritized.
• Organizations should adapt their project manager recruitment, selection, and development processes to reflect the balanced competency requirements identified in this study.
• Performance evaluation frameworks for project managers should incorporate assessments of both technical and leadership competencies.

6.3 Limitations and Future Research

This study has several limitations that provide directions for future research. The cross-sectional design limits causal inference; longitudinal studies could examine how competencies develop over time and influence project success throughout project lifecycles. The focus on a single industry within one country limits generalizability; future studies could examine similar relationships across industries and cultural contexts. Additionally, this study relied on self-reported perceptions of project success; future research could incorporate objective performance metrics and stakeholder assessments.

7. References

• Atkinson, R. (1999). Project management: cost, time and quality, two best guesses and a phenomenon, it's time to accept other success criteria. International Journal of Project Management, 17(6), 337-342.
• Crawford, L. (2005). Senior management perceptions of project management competence. International Journal of Project Management, 23(1), 7-16.
• Geoghegan, L., & Dulewicz, V. (2008). Project competencies for effective change. International Journal of Project Management, 26(5), 517-526.
• Ika, L. A. (2009). Project success as a topic in project management journals. Project Management Journal, 40(4), 6-19.
• Mller, R., & Turner, J. R. (2010). Leadership competency profiles of successful project managers. International Journal of Project Management, 28(5), 437-448.
• Project Management Institute (PMI). (2002). Project manager competency development framework. Project Management Institute.
• Project Management Institute (PMI). (2017). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK guide). Project Management Institute.
• Turner, J. R., & Mller, R. (2005). The impact of principal-agent relationship and contract type on communication between project owner and manager. International Journal of Project Management, 23(5), 398-403.