Reassessing team leadership in technology-intensive project environments

The influences of project environment and leadership style on team performance are examined in a field study of 74 technology-based project teams. The findings provide insight into the business processes, organizational conditions and managerial leadership style most conducive to high project performance in complex and technology-based team environments. One of the most striking finding is the large number of performance factors associated with the human side. Organizational conditions that satisfy personal and professional needs seem to have a strong effect on cooperation, commitment, risk management, and ultimately drive overall team performance. The paper provides a framework for assessing leadership effectiveness and suggests conditions favorable for building and managing high-performance project teams in complex work environments.