Bridging leadership competency gaps across different management levels to enable digital transformation in the construction industry

Abstract

Purpose As the construction industry undergoes digital transformation, the need for adaptive and effective leadership has become increasingly essential. This study aims to investigate the perceived importance and self-assessed performance of leadership competencies across four management levels in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach Using survey data collected from 305 construction professionals, 25 leadership competencies were evaluated across four management levels: general staff, line management, middle management and senior management. A refined importance-performance analysis (IPA) approach was applied to identify competency gaps and reveal level-specific leadership patterns. Findings The results show distinct competency gap among different management levels. General staff face significant shortfalls in communication and strategic awareness; line managers underperform in coordination, policy implementation and financial management; middle managers struggle with innovation tolerance and interpreting digital strategies; while senior managers exhibit gaps in digital literacy, team motivation, and market research and evaluation. Originality/value Theoretically, the study contributes to digital transformation research in construction by highlighting the differentiated and multi-level nature of leadership under digital transformation. The findings emphasise leadership development in construction as a dynamic process rather than a static leadership style or set of capabilities. Practically, the study proposes a Multi-level Competency Enablement Pathway to guide leadership development strategies tailored to the specific demands of each management level. The findings provide actionable insights for construction organisations seeking to align leadership capability development with the requirements of digital transformation and enhance organisational digital readiness.