Katarzyna Grzesik, Ph.D., Wroclaw University of Economics, Komandorska 118/120, 53-345 Wrocław, Poland, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Katarzyna Piwowar-Sulej, Dr hab., Wroclaw University of Economics, Komandorska 118/120, 53-345 Wrocław, Poland, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

The aim of the article is to present the issue of project manager competencies and project leadership styles which occur in different types of project-oriented organizations, i.e., the strictly project-oriented organizations (implementing projects for external clients) and organizations that manage projects for internal purposes. The subject literature studies and empirical research results conducted in 100 enterprises were used to accomplish the above-defined goal. The authors discussed the specific nature of project-oriented work and the specificity of project team management. A literature review on project manager competencies and project leadership styles was conducted. Three important competencies were identified that differentate project managers between those working in strictly project-oriented organizatons and those working in organizatons which perform project-based management for internal purposes, i.e., achievement orientaton, sensitvity teamwork, and cooperaton. The analysis of applied and desired leadership styles indicated a preference by project team members for a democratc leadership style, in partcular during the project implementaton phase, in both types of project-oriented organizatons.

Keywords: project manager, competencies, leadership, project success.