The Effect of Vision, Artifacts, and Leader Values on Contextual Performance Behavior and Success in Technology Challenging Projects: Qualitative Evidence

Abstract

In high-tech projects, which we refer to as technology challenging projects, all or mostly new technologies are used. While an effective project manager may be the source for a project team's spirit, there are other possibilities, like the satisfying nature of the technical challenge of high-tech projects or the opportunity for new learning on the job. In the current case study, we center on the views of partakers' in successful and failed technology challenging projects, and examine the importance of maintaining and managing a project's spirit, regardless of the level of spirit partakers bring to the project, and irrespective of the satisfying level of the technical challenge. The project cases highlight the value of managing employees' emotions, attitudes and behavioral norms that are focused on expected project outcomes, termed spirit, in technology challenging projects. Qualitative findings imply that leaders can be trained to execute behaviors that generate spirit in high-tech projects, which boosts contextual performance behavior and increases success.