Project Manager's Competencies as Catalysts for Project Success: The Mediating Role of Functional Manager Involvement and Stakeholder Engagement

Drawing motivation from the principles of Resource-Based View (RBV) and Stakeholder theory, this endeavor assessed the impact of the Project Manager’s (PM) competencies on Project Success (PS). The study further seeks to understand the mediating role of Functional Manager involvement (FM) and Stakeholder Engagement (SE) in the correlation between PM competencies and PS. Data were collected from 288 project team professionals operating in the healthcare sector in Pakistan. Partial Least Square – Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to validate both direct and mediating effects. The utilization of PLS-SEM for data analysis enhances the robustness of the study’s outcomes. The findings revealed a significant influence of PM competencies on PS. Furthermore, the results affirmed that functional manager involvement serves as a mediator in the relationship between PM competencies and PS; however, the mediating effect of stakeholder engagement remains insignificant. This research significantly contributes to the field of healthcare project management. The identification of PM competencies as a substantial predictor of PS underlines the importance of skilled project management practices to achieve project outcomes successfully. Moreover, the exposure of functional manager involvement as a mediating variable between PM competencies and PS offers valuable insights into the organizational dynamics influencing PS. While the mediating effect of stakeholder engagement remains insignificant, this finding opens the avenues for further exploration in this domain. Overall, the study contributes to both theoretical advancements in project management literature and practical implications for project management specialists in the healthcare sector in Pakistan.