The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Project Success with Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction: Empirical Evidence from The United Kingdom

Abstract

The present study investigates the relationship between transformational leadership (TL) and project success, particularly emphasising the mediation of job satisfaction (JS) in the context of the UK IT sector. This study aims to investigate the extent to which TL leads PS through improving JS. Data from 229 project employees from various hierarchical levels in the IT projects of UK. Data were collected using a structured survey utilising a convenience sampling technique, including items measuring TL, JS, and PS. The hypotheses were tested by descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and mediation analysis (through Hayes PROCESS Macro). Findings show that TL positively affected JS and PS,  and JS was a full mediator between TL and PS. This study's findings emphasise TL's significance in creating a positive work culture that leads to project success. There is already a plethora of studies available on the role of TL on PS and JS however, this study contributes towards the existing literature by providing empirical evidence of the mediating role of JS on the TL-PS relationship and insightful approach for IT organizations to focus on leadership development programs to improve employee satisfaction and ultimately improve project performance.

Keywords: Transformational leadership, Job satisfaction, Project success, IT sector, Mediation analysis.