A qualitative study of leaders’ work identity in outsourced projects

Abstract: Orientation The study explored the experiences of ten information technology (IT) project- and programme managers who led outsource projects. It explains the complex nature of outsourcing and requirements in leading inter-organisational teams. Implementation of these outsource projects is often concluded with varying degrees of success, and poor results lead to loss of income, reputation, and intellectual property, which impact people’s work identity. The study focused on the roles these leaders have to fulfil, what motivates them, and personal attributes required to deliver successful outcomes. Finally, the strategies and competencies the project- and programme managers developed to form and maintain their work identity are also discussed. Research purpose The purpose of the study was to explore the work identity of leaders working in complex inter-organisational structures through outsource arrangements. Motivation for the study The study was motivated by my own experiences as an IT project- and programme manager leading outsource teams. More specifically, I wanted to explore my observation of leaders having various levels of success in delivering projects. In addition, I was curious about how they managed themselves and what motivated them. Lastly, I wanted to know how they managed team viability within a complex inter-organisational team, creating an environment where team members wanted to work together on future projects. Research design A qualitative grounded theory research design was employed. Convenience- and snowball sampling were used in selecting ten research participants. Data was collected, first, by conducting interviews asking open-ended questions, followed by semi-structured interviews to clarify the participants’ everyday experiences. Finally, the interviews were transcribed and, with the aid of computerised qualitative data analysis software (ATLAS.ti), thematic data analysis was undertaken. Research findings The findings identified seven themes related to leaders building and maintaining their work identities. This informed a conceptual model of leaders’ work identity within an...M.Phil. (Personal and Professional Leadership