Purpose: Transformational leadership, flexibility and visibility improves project responsiveness to highly unpredictable and impactful events referred as the ‘black swans’ in mega projects (Blochet al., 2012; Raziqet al., 2018; Zailaniet al., 2016). However, these concepts have never been empirically tested in a single framework to determine their significant impact on multi-dimensional project success. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the interactional effects of project flexibility and project visibility on the relationship between transformational leadership and “multi-dimensions” of project success including meeting design goals; impact on customers and benefits to project-based organization.Design/methodology/approach: Empirical data derived from cross-sectional survey of 160 project managers from telecom intensive companies in Pakistan were used to test the conceptual framework developed from recent literature. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) provided detailed analysis of the measurement and structural model. The most recent reflective–formative PLS-SEM approach for higher-order constructs has been introduced.Findings: The results indicate that project managers’ transformational leadership (β= 0.348,p< 0.01), project flexibility (β= 0.221,p< 0.01) and project visibility (β= 0.366,p< 0.01) are positively related with the multi-dimensional project success (second-order formative) construct. Interestingly, the relationship between transformational leadership and project success is influenced by significantly negative moderations established through project flexibility (β= −0.100,p< 0.01) and project visibility (β= −0.093,p< 0.05).Research limitations/implications: This study in the telecom sector examined the interactional effects of risk mitigating strategies (i.e. project flexibility and project visibility) on the relationship between transformational leadership and multi-dimensional project success. This study creates a basis for future investigations extending to various project types and relevant to different industries especially those involving higher-order (formative) assessments of project success.Practical implications: The study findings assist project leaders to meet their escalating commitments in achieving project success from a multi-dimensional standpoint. Additionally, this study underscores a renewed perspective of transformational leadership and project outcomes. Despite prevailing understanding developed through prior research, transformational leadership may become less favorable for project success in conditions of increased flexibility and visibility in projects.Originality/value: Earlier studies have overlooked the multi-dimensional nature of project success (second-order formative) construct, despite several attempts to examine the interplay between transformational leadership and project success. Based on the knowledge gap and non-existence of empirical evidence, the authors introduced and empirically tested the moderating role of project flexibility and project visibility in the relationship between transformational leadership and multi-dimensional project success.

In an advancing project-based global economy, the ability to leverage innovation, and the adoption of disruptive technologies are critical for product and process innovation success. This study makes the initial attempt to examine the effects of CEO transformational leadership (CTL), project management best practices (PMBP), and project management technology quotient (PMTQ) on multi-dimensional innovation success. Drawing on data of 261 practitioners in the information and communications technology industry in South Korea, the hypothesized relationships were tested using higher-order partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The study finds supportive evidence on the positive effects of CTL, PMBP, and PMTQ on innovation success. Moreover, PMBP and PMTQ demonstrated a significant moderating influence on the relationship between CTL and innovation success. Besides the development and validation of a new PMTQ scale, the study findings offer novel theoretical predictions, methodological contributions, and implications for practitioners to mitigate the challenges of successful innovations.

The increasing uberization of work has emerged as an intrinsic part of our digitalized society, allowing opportunities for unbridled success for global firms using gig work. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the integrative effect of self-determination and job characteristics on the joy of gig work with the mediating influence of gig worker’s motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic). Survey data was collected from 250 gig workers representing two multinational ride-sharing services. The study used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique to empirically test the conceptualized model and hypothesized relationships. The study findings provide empirical evidence to present that joy of gig work is largely affected by gig worker’s self-determination and job characteristics. Moreover, gig worker’s motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) significantly mediates the relationship between self-determination and joy of gig work, as well as job characteristics and joy of gig work. This research creates the basis for future investigations that examine the direct and indirect associations between self-determination, job characteristics, motivation, and joy of gig work. The practical implications for global firms include a better understanding of the business value of the joy of work, especially in gig-work environments.

Workplace deviant behavior (WDB) and workplace ostracism (WO) have emerged as one of the most toxic behaviors that breed self-protection and self-interest in today’s organizations. However, limited evidence is available on the underlying factors, such as organizational conflict (OC), knowledge-sharing behavior (KSB) and emotional intelligence (EI), in explaining the WO-WDB relationship. Hence, the present study aims to introduce and empirically validate a moderated-mediation model of workplace deviant behavior, involving WO, OC, KSB and EI, respectively. Drawing on study data from 250 officials in the higher education public sector institutions in Pakistan, and employing structural equation modeling with partial least squares, the findings revealed a significant positive effect of WO on WDB. Besides the validation of the mediating roles of OC and KSB, the findings also confirmed a significant moderating influence of EI. The study implications provide theoretical and practical insights to better interpret KSB, OI and EI in organizations that can generate effective deterrence towards WO and WDB.

China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multibillion-dollar partnered project is considered as a game-changer, as it combines the strategic interests of China and Pakistan that cannot be compromised. The mega-construction project has recently experienced xenophobic incidents involving Chinese and Pakistani nationals, creating significant harm towards the CPEC progress and success, especially under enormous geopolitical and economic threats. This sketches our motivation for conducting this research that focused on qualitative design based expert interviews of 8 individuals (i.e., both Chinese and Pakistani nationals) directly associated with CPEC. Drawing on a review of mainstream research, the article constructs a framework to explore the demotions of xenophobic behaviors at workplace and to explore the human resource diversity management (HRDM) practices (including intercultural training and development, flexible compensation, international staffing, work-design, and work–life balance) in coping with xenophobia and its sub-dimensions (including discrimination, prejudice, and stereotyping). Experts based interview findings confirm the presence of xenophobia in the CPEC. We propose a framework of various HRDM practices in managing the xenophobia at workplace, however, it is still in its infancy stage. Hence, the present study introduces a new operating model for future researchers, academicians, and management practitioners to cope with xenophobia based on the practices and insights that were explored during this research.

Purpose: Project managers are under a never-ending pressure to demonstrate the expected value of projects to the project sponsors; however, in most cases, project managers fail to realize this strategic value due to the loopholes left in project governance throughout various stages of the project life cycle. Furthermore, another root cause of project failure might be linked to an exceedingly self-interested project leader who is exploitative of his/her team. This is a recurring yet still unexplored aspect of destructive leadership that requires attention from the scientific community as well as practitioners. Hence, the present study explored the relationship between project governance and information and communication technology (ICT) project success, as well as the moderating effects of exploitative leadership on this relationship.Design/methodology/approach: With this aim, 357 responses were collected from project professionals in the emerging ICT industry in Pakistan, and the results were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with partial least squares (PLS).Findings: The findings provide new evidence that project governance significantly improves project success opportunities in the ICT industry; however, this relationship is negatively moderated by exploitative leadership.Originality/value: The study findings extend the project leadership literature by uncovering the influence of the dark side of project leadership (i.e. exploitative leadership), in addition to revalidating the impact of project governance on project success through a multi-dimensional context.