Influence of Project Managers' Inspirational Motivation Leadership Style on Coordination and Performance of BIM Construction Projects
Journal
Journal of Management in Engineering
Journal Volume
42
Journal Issue
1
Start Page
04025054
ISSN
0742597X
Date Issued
2026-01-01
Author(s)
Vu, Thi Kim Dung
Abstract
Effective leadership and coordination are critical success factors for building information modeling (BIM) construction projects. However, their interaction within digital, collaborative BIM environments remains understudied. Drawing on survey data from 224 BIM projects and analyzing it using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM), this study empirically confirms that BIM project managers' inspirational motivation leadership styles improve BIM project schedule and quality performance through the full mediation of project coordination effectiveness. Its effect on budget performance, however, shifts from full mediation to indirect influence when accounting for contextual factors. Notably, BIM commitment by the project appointing party significantly reinforces coordination and performance, partially absorbing variance in budget performance. In contrast, firm size (large versus small and medium) and project type (pure-design versus building) exhibit no significant effects. This study offers five novel theoretical contributions: (1) it empirically validates the role of inspirational motivation leadership style in digitally coordinated BIM projects; (2) clarifies the relationship between leadership and coordination as two critical BIM project success factors; (3) addresses a gap in coordination research by identifying inspirational motivation as a coordination-enabling mechanism and introducing a validated measure of effective coordination state within BIM projects; (4) contributes to the contingency theory by showing how contextual factors, particularly the appointing party's BIM commitment, firm size, and project type, interact with leadership to shape BIM project outcomes; and (5) advances understanding of effective leadership pathways in BIM projects beyond the previously confirmed contingent reward leadership style. Collectively, these contributions support more successful BIM implementation, a cornerstone of the construction industry's digital transformation. The findings offer practical guidance for BIM project managers, appointing parties, and architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms seeking to achieve well-coordinated and high-performing BIM projects and establish a strong basis for future research on leadership dynamics in digitally enabled construction.
Subjects
BIM commitment
BIM construction projects
Building information modeling (BIM)
Coordination
Firm size
Inspirational motivation leadership style
Performance
Project type
Transformational leadership
Publisher
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Type
journal article