The Role of Strategic Leadership in Creating Change for Construction Innovation: A North Cyprus Perspective

Abstract

Driving forces in construction industry indicate that the ability to innovate is quickly becoming a competitive necessity. However construction industry has been generally slow to embrace innovation and radical changes as fundamental changes in construction processes require shifts in the conservative management perspectives of construction contractors. Thus the strategic leadership has a crucial role in change initiatives for innovation in construction contractors. Our research focus is to investigate the role of strategic leadership in creating change for innovation in North Cyprus construction industry. Main objectives are to 1) analyze the current strategic role of leadership in change initiatives for innovation, 2) identify the innovation driving leadership models, roles, and styles 3) assess the effectiveness of innovation leadership models, roles, and styles in construction contractors. The research includes review of background literature, interviews with project/construction managers in the industry on change initiatives for innovation in construction processes, analysis of this information to develop findings and extending these to present the key strategic issues that could be targeted for creating wider awareness of existence and persistence of incumbent and prevailing innovation initiatives in the management perspectives of construction contractors. The paper commences on understanding the current management perspectives of construction industry leaders in change for innovation in North Cyprus. The paper concludes how the changes in owners’ demands and more complex new facilities require innovative change initiatives to leave the old paradigms in construction organizations. Besides technology and project-oriented perspectives, social issues like organizational change and strategic focus on clients (market oriented) can be regarded as the most important change initiatives for the construction industry leaders in North Cyprus.