Leadership: The Employee Perspective - A Study in Dubai’s Construction Industry

Dubai is a regional and global leader in terms of infrastructure development and other industries such as tourism and real estate. The novelty of the industry and its rapid progression persuades one to assess the factors influencing the construction industry. Due to the competitive market, project management has gained undisputable importance in the management of construction projects. Employees are an important part of any industry and their job satisfaction and organisational commitment affects the turnover rate and productivity of a company (Benkhoff, 1997; Randeree and Chaudhry, pending). Leadership has a strong influence on employees’ job satisfaction and organisational commitment (Lok & Crawford, 1999). Thus, it is vital to examine leadership styles in a rapidly growing industry in what is also such a cosmopolitan city. Hence, the research undertaken aims to study leadership styles in the construction industry of Dubai. The findings show that employees feel that Consensus and Team Management leadership styles are predominant in the industry and employees have shown preference of working under these leadership styles