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Project Leadership Styles and the Execution of Rural Infrastructure Projects for Society: Evidence from the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project in Ondo State, Nigeria
Subject area: Management and Commerce · Area of research: Leadership
Abstract
Effective leadership is widely regarded as a determinant of successful project delivery, yet little empirical attention has been paid to how specific leadership styles shape the execution of rural infrastructure projects in developing countries. This study examined project leadership styles and their effect on the execution of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) in Ondo State, Nigeria. The study assessed the leadership styles used in RAAMP execution, evaluated RAAMP performance, and examined the effect of project leadership styles on RAAMP execution. A descriptive survey research design and quantitative approach were adopted. Using census sampling, structured questionnaires measured on a five-point Likert scale were administered to the entire population of 15 project leaders and 24 team members engaged in RAAMP implementation. Descriptive statistics were used to address the first two objectives, while multiple linear regression was used to test the effect of leadership styles on project execution. The findings showed that transformational leadership was the predominant style from the perspective of project leaders, while democratic leadership was predominant from the perspective of team members. RAAMP performed strongly in scope adherence (mean = 4.82) but recorded comparatively lower scores for milestone achievement (mean = 3.81) and timeliness (mean = 3.30). Transformational, transactional and autocratic leadership had statistically insignificant negative effects on RAAMP execution, whereas democratic leadership (beta = 0.648, p = 0.001) and servant leadership (beta = 0.710, p = 0.044) had significant positive effects, with the overall regression model explaining 67.3 percent of the variance in project execution. The study concludes that participative and people-centred leadership approaches enhance the execution of rural infrastructure projects and recommends a hybrid leadership approach, regular leadership training, and the inclusion of leadership assessment criteria in the selection of project leaders.
Keywords
project leadership; leadership styles; project execution; rural infrastructure; RAAMP; Nigeria
How to cite this paper
@article{1722859,
author = {Adebayo Adefemi Adetanmi, Kehinde Temitope Alade},
title = {Project Leadership Styles and the Execution of Rural Infrastructure Projects for Society: Evidence from the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project in Ondo State, Nigeria},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {10},
number = {3},
pages = {923-930},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1722859.pdf},
abstract = {Effective leadership is widely regarded as a determinant of successful project delivery, yet little empirical attention has been paid to how specific leadership styles shape the execution of rural infrastructure projects in developing countries. This study examined project leadership styles and their effect on the execution of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) in Ondo State, Nigeria. The study assessed the leadership styles used in RAAMP execution, evaluated RAAMP performance, and examined the effect of project leadership styles on RAAMP execution. A descriptive survey research design and quantitative approach were adopted. Using census sampling, structured questionnaires measured on a five-point Likert scale were administered to the entire population of 15 project leaders and 24 team members engaged in RAAMP implementation. Descriptive statistics were used to address the first two objectives, while multiple linear regression was used to test the effect of leadership styles on project execution. The findings showed that transformational leadership was the predominant style from the perspective of project leaders, while democratic leadership was predominant from the perspective of team members. RAAMP performed strongly in scope adherence (mean = 4.82) but recorded comparatively lower scores for milestone achievement (mean = 3.81) and timeliness (mean = 3.30). Transformational, transactional and autocratic leadership had statistically insignificant negative effects on RAAMP execution, whereas democratic leadership (beta = 0.648, p = 0.001) and servant leadership (beta = 0.710, p = 0.044) had significant positive effects, with the overall regression model explaining 67.3 percent of the variance in project execution. The study concludes that participative and people-centred leadership approaches enhance the execution of rural infrastructure projects and recommends a hybrid leadership approach, regular leadership training, and the inclusion of leadership assessment criteria in the selection of project leaders.},
keywords = {project leadership; leadership styles; project execution; rural infrastructure; RAAMP; Nigeria},
month = {September},
}