Exploring the Impact of Innovation Ability and Work Execution on Project Success in the Digital Age

Abstract

This study revisits a more recent empirical study of leadership dimensions situated in a project context, and specifically the roles of innovation capability and work execution flexibility to project success. Using the same two-method approach as in the original published study, structural equation modeling (SEM), and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), this study has presented the key findings of research on these two dimensions of a project success. The SEM findings indicated that innovation capability was a significant and positive predictor of project success. Work execution flexibility turned out to be very important: teams that had flexibility in their work execution processes performed at a higher level thinking they were being more successful, and teams that had a more fixed norms of how to execute their work performed at a lower level and thought they were less successful. Finally the fsQCA configurationsare able to show that the combined high innovation capability and flexibility in work execution was included in examples of successful projects. There contributions support our belief that development of innovation and flexible execution of tasks are key leadership strategies in our current digital.