Leadership and Growth : The connection between leadership and sustainable growth – perceived from a company’s and governmental perspective in Sweden and Austria in the construction industry.

Abstract: Problem – The construction industry builds the engine of a nation’s economy. In unstable times like these, knowledge of how to keep this sector healthy is vital. One way of doing so is to use the main driver of the 21st century economy – leadership. Yet, there is little research to be found regarding the connection between leadership and growth in a construction sector context. Though, it is important for companies to know and execute this tool to use it as an advantage in this highly competitive market. The government is one important driver for growth, though its linkage on how to support the construction sector is weak. Research question - How is leadership connected to sustainable growth in the construction industry, using two different approaches – seen from a company’s and governmental perspective? Purpose – The purpose of this study is to find patterns, differences and similarities of how leadership affects sustainable growth among Swedish and Austrian construction companies. Further, the thesis should contribute to the research field, which has to be expanded to cover the construction industry. Method – An abductive approach was chosen to collect secondary data about leadership in relation to growth in the construction industry to gain a broader but also deeper understanding of the topic and comply with the purpose of this study. The empirical data was built as a case study, consisting of four companies and governmental institutions. The information was collected by using a qualitative approach in the form of almost exclusively interviews and one focus group. Conclusions – This study shows that all companies and governmental institutions accept leadership as an important driver for growth. The concepts of leadership and growth are interlocked with many factors. The chosen drivers of growth showed that the company, which actively wanted to grow, used leadership to enforce those drivers in particular. Innovation was one growth driver, which set Beta, the growing aspirant, apart from the other companies, which do not want to grow anymore. Leadership was executed by offering support, understanding and commitment. Both Swedish and Austrian governmental institutions provided a growing region for the companies and aspire continuous growth for the region. Yet, they had no direct influence on the companies’ growth performance.