Influence of Leadership on Project Management Uncertainty in a Cross-Cultural Context
Ni, Xiaoming (2025)
2025
All rights reserved. This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025111828442
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025111828442
Tiivistelmä
In today's project-driven world, project teams are often composed of members from diverse backgrounds, and projects frequently come with a range of complexities and uncertainties. Project leaders must be equipped to handle these challenges, particularly in terms of their ability to manage uncertainty effectively. The goal of this thesis is to explore the role of leadership and its impact on of project uncertainty management in Asia-Pacific region context.
The research methodology integrates a literature review as part of the theoretical framework, which focuses on two main research areas: project uncertainty management and leadership in cross-cultural projects. It is followed by semi-structured interviews in the empirical section. This thesis adopts a case study approach, analysing insights from four company leaders located in four different countries within the same region. The literature review provided a strong foundation for the empirical re search, and the interview questions were developed based on the findings from the literature.
The main findings suggest that organization can evaluate its level of uncertainty management by identifying the source of uncertainty whether they are internal or external, whether they arise from individual, organizational processes or broader cultural environments, and whether they are controllable or not, whether uncertainty presents a threat or an opportunity to the project, and how well individuals are able to respond these challenges. From a leader perspective, effective leadership in managing uncertainty requires a combination of key qualities, such as being knowledgeable, empathetic, and respectful toward others, willing to confront challenges directly, share leadership responsibilities, and empower the project team to express ideas and make decisions, as well as maintaining a mindset of continuous learning is also essential.
The research methodology integrates a literature review as part of the theoretical framework, which focuses on two main research areas: project uncertainty management and leadership in cross-cultural projects. It is followed by semi-structured interviews in the empirical section. This thesis adopts a case study approach, analysing insights from four company leaders located in four different countries within the same region. The literature review provided a strong foundation for the empirical re search, and the interview questions were developed based on the findings from the literature.
The main findings suggest that organization can evaluate its level of uncertainty management by identifying the source of uncertainty whether they are internal or external, whether they arise from individual, organizational processes or broader cultural environments, and whether they are controllable or not, whether uncertainty presents a threat or an opportunity to the project, and how well individuals are able to respond these challenges. From a leader perspective, effective leadership in managing uncertainty requires a combination of key qualities, such as being knowledgeable, empathetic, and respectful toward others, willing to confront challenges directly, share leadership responsibilities, and empower the project team to express ideas and make decisions, as well as maintaining a mindset of continuous learning is also essential.