Does the Leadership Style Affect Team Members’ Project Satisfaction: Case Study of Sri Lankan IT Sector

Abstract

Effective teamwork is an indispensable factor in the achievement of IT project success. Effective leadership is a key contributor to team member satisfaction, ensuring their active involvement and contentment within the IT project, all of which collectively lead to favorable project outcomes. This study assessed the effect of leadership style on team members' project satisfaction in IT companies. The study collected data from 81 IT team members working in ten IT companies from a population of over 35 IT companies. The results showed that the transactional leadership style had the greatest impact on team members' satisfaction with project completion. Interestingly, the study also found that the most prominent leadership style in the IT industry in Sri Lanka is the transformational leadership style. This study highlights the importance of selecting the right leadership style to ensure the success of IT projects.