UNIVERSITY OF BUEA

FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

THE EFFECT OF PROJECT MANAGER’S COMPETENCIES ON

PROJECT SUCCESS OF CONTRACTING COMPANIES IN BUEA MUNICIPALITY

BY

AKUM OBEN THOMPSON ORU

(SM19P232)

A Research Submitted to the Department of Economics, in Fulfillment of

the Requirements for the Award of a Master in Business
Administration (MBA) in Project Management

SUPERVISOR

PROF MOLEM C. SAMA

AUGUST, 2023

i
 DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to My Boss Mr. Epey Nkongho Emmanuel

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 CERTIFICATION

This is to certify that; the research project titled “The Effect of Project Manager’s

Competencies on Project Success of Contracting Companies in Buea Municipality by Akum

Oben Thompson Oru submitted to the Department of Economics has been read and approved

for presentation.

Sign: _________________________________ Date: _____________________________

PROF MOLEM C. SAMA

(SUPERVISOR)

Sign:_________________________________ Date: ____________________________

Dr. CHRISTOPHER EHO OLONG

(HEAD OF DEPARTMENT)

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am grateful to my supervisor Prof Molem C. Sama who made it possible for this work to

come to a successful end.

I give Special gratitude to Mr. Epey Nkongho Emmanuel for being the pillar behind this

success.

Special thanks to my parents Mr. Bate James Akum and Mrs. Bate Regina for their support.

Finally, I give thanks to the entire family of MBA 7th Batch Students of the University of

Buea for being a support to one another.

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 ABSTRACT

Project Manager’s competency is a crucial factor that guarantees project success as supported

by empirical literature and postulations from professional bodies such as Project Management

Institute. There have been of late increasing voices against the low execution rate, delays in execution and

abandonment, cost overruns and missed objectives of both public and private projects in Cameroon causing

devastating effects on the beneficiaries from these projects . This study assesses the effect of Project

manager’s competencies on project success of contracting companies in Buea Municipality to

analyze whether project managers’ competencies affect project success by imploring both

qualitative and quantitative research design to analyze data collected from a sample of 52

company executives selected using stratified sampling technique from a population composed

of building construction, agricultural and service companies. Nature of data is primary data

collected using questionnaires. The variable Project Manager’s competencies is captured in

terms of three sub variables: Technical competence, Behavioral competence and Contextual

competence while project success is capture using the project management triangle of Scope,

Cost and Time. The results of the study shows that project manager’s competencies have a

significant and positive effect on project success of contracting `companies in Buea

municipality with the value of adjusted R2 being 0.49. The study recommendations that

companies’ management should give room for Technical, Behavioral and Contextual

competencies improvement of their employees through both on-the-job and off-the-job

training and to consider allocating Project managers to project taking into consideration the

Project manager’s competencies based on project complexity and scales.

Key Words: Project, Project Manager, Project Manager’s competencies.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION................................................................................................................................

CERTIFICATION..........................................................................................................................

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................

ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................

TABLE OF CONTENTS...............................................................................................................

LIST OF TABLES..........................................................................................................................

LIST OF FIGURES.......................................................................................................................

CHAPTER ONE..............................................................................................................................

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................

1.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................1

1.2 Background to the Study...................................................................................................1

1.3 Statement of the Problem..................................................................................................5

1.4 Research Questions...........................................................................................................8

1.4.1 Main Research Question................................................................................................8

1.4.2 Specific Research Questions..........................................................................................8

1.5 Research Objectives..........................................................................................................8

1.5.1 Main Research Objective...............................................................................................8

1.5.2 Specific Research Objectives.........................................................................................8

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 1.6 Research Hypothesis.........................................................................................................9

1.7 Scope of the Study.............................................................................................................9

1.8 Significance of the Study..................................................................................................9

1.9 Definition of Terms.........................................................................................................10

CHAPTER TWO.......................................................................................................................13

LITERATURE REVIEW..........................................................................................................13

2.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................13

2.2 Conceptual Literature......................................................................................................13

2.2.1 Project Management Competences..............................................................................13

2.2.1.2 Project Managers competency...................................................................................15

2.2.1.3 Dimensions of Project Manager’s Competencies.....................................................17

2.2.2 Project Success ............................................................................................................20

2.2.2.2 Measures of Project Success.....................................................................................23

2.2.2.3 Conceptual Framework of the Study.........................................................................24

2.3 Theoretical Literature......................................................................................................25

2.4 Empirical Literature........................................................................................................26

CHAPTER THREE...................................................................................................................30

METHODOLOGY....................................................................................................................30

3.1 Research Design..............................................................................................................30

3.2 Area of the Study.............................................................................................................31

3.3 Population of the Study...................................................................................................32

3.4 Sampling Procedures and Sample Size...........................................................................33

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 3.5 Instruments......................................................................................................................34

3.6 Data Collection................................................................................................................35

3.6.1 Sources Data Collection...............................................................................................35

3.6.2 Nature of Data Collected..............................................................................................36

3.7 Data Analysis..................................................................................................................37

3.8 Ethical Considerations.....................................................................................................38

CHAPTER FOUR.....................................................................................................................40

PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS...........................................................40

4.1 Presentation of Results....................................................................................................40

4.1.1 Response Rate..............................................................................................................40

4.1.3 Age Group of Respondents..........................................................................................41

4.1.4 Educational Qualification of Respondents...................................................................42

4.1.5 Work Experience or Longevity....................................................................................43

4.2 Presentation of Descriptive Results.................................................................................44

4.2.1 Knowledge Competency..............................................................................................44

4.2.3 Skill Competency.........................................................................................................45

4.2.4 Attitude Competency....................................................................................................46

4.2.5 Project Success.............................................................................................................47

4.3 Presentation of Inferential Results..................................................................................48

4.3.1 Presentation of Reliability Results...............................................................................48

4.3.2 Presentation of Model Summary..................................................................................49

4.3.2 Presentation of Pairwise Correlation Results...............................................................50

4.3.3 Presentation of Regression Results..............................................................................51

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CHAPTER FIVE.......................................................................................................................53

SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION.........53

5.1 Discussion of Results......................................................................................................53

5.2 Summary of Major Findings...........................................................................................55

5.3 Conclusion.......................................................................................................................56

5.4 Recommendations...........................................................................................................57

BIBLIOGRAPGHY.......................................................................................................................

APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1: Population of the Study

Table 4.1: Response Rate of Respondents

Table 4.2: Knowledge Competency

Table 4.3: Skill Competency

Table 4.4: Attitude Competency

Table 4.5: Project Success

Table 4.6: Cronbach Alpha

Table 4.7: Model Summary

Table 4.8: Correlation Results

Table 4.9: Regression Results

Table 5.1: Summary Table

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1: Conceptual Framework

Figure 4.1: Gender of Respondents

Figure 4.2: Age Group of Respondents

Figure 4.3: Educational Qualification of Respondents

Figure 4.4: Work Experience or Longevity of Respondents

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xii
 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

This study is structured into five main chapters. Chapter one is the introduction which

includes aspects such as the background of the study, statement of the problem, the main and

specific research questions, research objectives, the significance of the study (to academic

structure the government and management of companies), and the organization of work.

Chapter two is literature review which deals with the conceptual, theoretical literature review

and empirical literature review. Chapter three looks at the research design, nature and sources

of data, variables and their measurement, model specification, justification of variables,

techniques of estimation, validation of results and the ethical consideration. Chapter four

deals with the presentation of findings (descriptive aspects, diagnostics test results and results

of each specific objective) and the discussion of findings. Lastly, chapter five which looks at

the summary of the findings, recommendations, conclusions and suggestions for further

research.

1.2 Background to the Study

Projects are awarded or allocated to various sectors depending on their needs assessment

(Mansfield & Doran, 1994) and consequently if these projects are not delivered on time, it

will affect the beneficiaries negatively or they may be delivered when the need might no

longer be existing. Some projects face cost overruns leading to abandonment while others

deliver products different from which was specified during the definition stage.

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In today’s world, massive changes in a project may occur such as changes in requirements

specification, quality standards, scope description, enterprise environmental factors. These

changes will often require changes in other aspects of the project such as changes in time and

cost and also some changes will require changes in project management approaches

(predictive, adaptive, hybrid or incremental). Still based on these changes, it is assumed that

the competences of project managers impact how an organization achieves its objectives

which is a successful execution of projects. The specific activity to be carried out in a project

consumes resources which are limited and has a desired date to be delivered and requires a

unique talent that will be able to tailor project management approaches to suit the particular

situation on ground.

Project execution is one of the oldest and most respected accomplishments of mankind.

Projects arise in circumstances such as conducting research to develop a new manufacturing

process, constructing a building, governments’ responses, merging two organizations,

improving a business process, acquiring and installing a new computer hardware system for

use in an organization, modifying a computer soft word system and exploring for oil in a

region. Managing projects is an old practice as seen in the builders of pyramids, great wall of

China, Olympic games, human beings landing on the moon, the architects of ancient cities,

and other wonders of the World (Peter, 2001). The accomplishment of project through the

application and integration of the project management processes of initiation, planning,

executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing is known as project management cycle.

Project management integrates these process groups progressively through the project life

cycle with the aim of satisfying the stakeholders and constituents according to the project’s

established requirements (project success).

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Project management is playing an important role in changing business landscapes. The

purpose of project management is to bring about structure in the execution of a project leading

to project success. Project management is accomplished through the appropriate application

and integration of project management processes to ensure that business objectives are met,

stakeholders’ satisfaction is gotten, the right product is delivered at the appropriate time,

respond to risk in a timely manner, manage change, manage constraints (time, scope, cost,

resources, quality), resolve problems. A project is used to create a unique product, service or

result (Snyder, 2014). The project as a whole, has its own objectives, measurable criteria and

a defined cost and time. Due to the limited timeframe for a project, the scope and resources

available are also definite making changes in a project aspect to affect other aspects for

example, increasing quality will require more resources and time. The more time the project

takes to complete, the more complex it becomes, raising the risk of failure (Snyder, 2014).

There is a vast increase in the application of project management in organizations from the

year 2002 to 2011(Fortune et al. 2011).

The project manager is the person assigned by the performing organization to lead the project

team and sets the expectations of the stakeholders involved in the project. It is the prerogative

of the project manager to adhere to the project cost, time and quality (Ireland, 1992). Each

project manager adopts a unique management and working style. However, the management

and working style of the project manager also depend on the industry in which the project

manager is operating (Ireland, 1992). The complex nature of projects in a competitive work

environment needs efficient competencies of project managers. The whole project

management team must have a wide variety of competencies (technical, behavioral and

contextual) to deal with the day-to-day management challenges and changes.

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Competencies are often studied by individual attributes like skills, knowledge and attitudes,

that perform tasks (Rainsbury et al., 2002). The individual attributes can broadly be classified

as cognitive and behavioral attributes. The cognitive attributes include technical skills that

usually includes technical knowledge and expertise. Behavioral attributes include not only

personal characteristics that describe how one handles a situation, but also interpersonal skills

that describe how relationships are handled, and organizational skills that describe how to

secure organizational outcomes through organizational networks (Rainsbury et al. 2002).

Mahsa et al. (2016) considered competency as the "underlying characteristics of an individual

causally related to criterion-referenced effective and/or superior performance in a job or

situation" and the clusters of technical skills, contextual knowledge and behaviors required for

successful execution of a project. According to Andersen et al. (2006) it was approved that for

a project to be considered successful, it must be completed within the parameters of its

performance goals, within its slated budget and on schedule. The more traditional “hard”

technical skills of project managers have drawn much attention, little light has been shed on

the “soft” skills, especially behavioral competencies in the construction context (Zhang,

2013).

Project manager’s knowledge areas play a vital role in the successes or failure of projects and

an experienced Project Manager will possess particular uniqueness that will drive the team

performance and his planning based on his project management skills (Ehsan et al. 2010).

Studies about PMs' competencies have found that there is a significant relationship between

Emotional Intelligence and a range of important behavioral skills, such as leadership,

teamwork, workgroup effectiveness, and managing conflicts (Sunindijo, Hadikusumo &

Ogunlana 2007). The overall success of project and reaching the set goals depends on

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cooperation of a whole project team and the leadership ability of its project manager (Cech &

Chadt 2015).

Project managers seek challenging projects. Higher complexity in projects and fixed price

contracts increase awareness and importance of success factors. Project managers should not

be assigned to projects that are above their management capabilities. Project managers with

greater experience emphasize the importance of the most influential success criterion, team

satisfaction should be considered when assigning project managers to business-critical

projects (Ralf & Rodney 2007). Business competence refers to the set of business and

interpersonal knowledge and skills possessed by professional that enables him or her to

understand the business domain, speak the language of business, and interact with their

business partners (Zainuddin, Bassellier & Benbasat, 2012).

Competencies often help in project performance, but competencies are seldom used as leading

indicators to track the project performance (Fayek &Omar, 2016). Project performance has

been usually evaluated using numerous metrics like cost performance, quality performance

and schedule performance (Yun et al. 2016). Therefore, this study attempted to look and

assess if Project Managers’ Competencies affect Project success as the three components of

the project manager competencies, which are; technical, behavioral, and contextual

competencies on project success or failure based on the results of the iron triangle aspects

(time, cost, and quality).

1.3 Statement of the Problem

With the vision of becoming an emergent economy by 2035, the Cameroon Government has

initiated a good number of Projects throughout the national territory to ease the achievement

of the 2035 vision. Buea Municipality as one of such areas, has a good number of projects that

5
are handled by contractors and companies but most of them are not always successful.

Examples include a contract that was awarded for the construction of an emergency unit at the

regional hospital Limbe and equipment of the blood bank at same hospital, in 2013 and were

not completed by the end of 2014 financial year; another important sector where delays or

abandonment are common is the road construction sector which statistics show a generally

low execution rate (Cameroon calling, 2014). Also, in Cameroon, it is very rare to see that a

large project is completed on the time specified or agreed upon. There are many large projects

in Cameroon, which suffered delay or in some cases suffered suspension or abandonment.

Examples have been cited by (MINEPAT Directory, problematic projects,2014). Other

projects that have suffered delays in Fako division are: Construction of two classrooms at

GBPS Mabeta New layout Limbe; Completion, construction of emergency building at

Regional Hospital Limbe.

Completion alone does not constitute success for the project owner. For the owner, much of

the success of a project depends on many factors, the most important of which is project

completion within specified cost parameter (Darrell, 1995). Most literature review on projects

suggested that the common criteria for project success are generally considered to be cost,

time and quality (Arditi, 1997; Frimpong , 2003). Atkinson (1999) called these measures as

the ‘iron triangle’.

As per the anecdotal information (way of doing things) in the company, a person who will be

project manager is selected from functional areas in the organization with functional expertise

(subject matter expert) with little or no consideration to the project management competency

dimension. However, there is no question that consideration of competency of a project

manager from different perspectives will play a huge role to the successful execution of

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projects. A project manager’s technical competencies are highly regarded; there is a need to

go beyond these competencies, developing ‘well rounded’ project manager that will also fulfil

the personal and contextual competencies (management competency, the soft skills). Failure

to recognize these competencies will only hamper an individual’s development and ultimately

have a damaging effect on organizational competitiveness (Cian, 2014). It is beneficial for a

project manager to be equipped with problem-solving (technical skill), leadership skills

(soft/management skill) and strategic/ business management skills for situations that would

make him/her to think differently, in opportunities with curiosity increase, or feedbacks that

bring challenges to learning and changes in behavior (Pereira & Rabechini 2013). The

efficient leadership and project management abilities help in developing the ability of the

workforce to manage the diverse situations effectively (EL-Annan, 2015).

In alignment with the business growth, there is a huge increase in the number of projects in

Cameroon. Together with this, much study that examines factors that enhance of project

success is needed in order to identify success rates for optimal return on investment. Project

management offices reported there are many active projects currently handled by companies

to realize the organizations’ strategic plan, government’s vision 2035 as well companies own

ambition of sustainability giving high stakes for successful delivery of projects to achieve

both organization’s strategic plan and the Cameroon vision 2035. Therefore, competencies of

a Project managers are required to be considered as a driving factor if expectations are to be

met. The question as to whether organizations consider competency criterion during

allocation of project managers to specific projects and organizational support for project

success in terms of equipping project managers both with technical and management skills

required for a holistic approach for project success is often being raised. Are contractors and

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business owners such as those in Buea municipality conscious about competency

consideration in project management assigning based on project complexity and scope and

does the competency level impact project success? In this light, the aim of this is to study is

to assess the effect of project manager’s competency on project success based on the selected

competency variables in the Buea Municipality.

1.4 Research Questions

1.4.1 Main Research Question

The main research question this study seeks to answer is what is the effect of project

manager’s competencies on project success of companies in the Buea Municipality?

1.4.2 Specific Research Questions

1. To what extent does Contextual competency affect the project success of companies in the

Buea Municipality?

2. How does technical competency affect the project success of companies in the Buea

Municipality?

3. What is the effect of behavioral competency on the project success of companies in the

Buea Municipality?

1.5 Research Objectives

1.5.1 Main Research Objective

The main research objective of this study is to examine the effect of project manager’s

competences on project success of companies in the Buea Municipality.

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1.5.2 Specific Research Objectives

1. To assess the effect of contextual competency on project success of companies in the Buea

Municipality.

2. To investigate the effect of technical competency on project success of companies in the

Buea Municipality.

3. To evaluate the effect of behavioral competency on project success of companies in the

Buea Municipality.

1.6 Research Hypothesis

H01: Contextual competency has no significant effect on project success of companies in the

Buea Municipality.

H02: Technical competency has no significant effect on project success of companies in the

Buea Municipality.

H03: Behavioral competency has no significant effect on project success of companies in the

Buea Municipality.

1.7 Scope of the Study

Thematic Scope: This section highlights the variables used in this study as the thematic

scope of the study. These variables are the independent variable which is project manager’s

competencies and the dependent variable which is project success. Project manager’s

competences was captured in terms of three sub-variables in the likes of contextual

competencies, technical competencies and behavioral competencies.

Geographical Scope: In terms of the geographical scope, the focus is the South West Region

of Cameroon, the Fako Division and to be more precise, the Buea Municipality.
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Time Scope: In terms of time scope, this study was conducted for a period of one year which

was from the 1st of July2022 to the 1st of July 2023.

1.8 Significance of the Study

1.8.1 To the Researcher: This study will enable the researcher obtain a Masters of Business

Administration (MBA) in Project Management as it fulfils the requirements for the award of

such a Degree in the University of Buea. The findings of this study will help the researcher

take a stand in the confusion of the effect of project manager’s competencies on project

success.

1.8.2 To Other Researchers/Academicians: The study findings will be used to introduce

positive reforms in project manager’s competences within the public sector and will also

assist in rationalizing the success of projects. This study will also assist academic researchers

do further studies on how to enhance project success by improving the competences of the

project managers and effectiveness.

1.8.3 To the Management of Contracting Companies: The results of this study will help

the managers of contracting companies (contractors) in knowing the best blend of manager’s

competences to put in place. This is to permit the end users benefit from the variety of

products and services offered that satisfy their needs and also from the enhanced consistency

as a result of the quality of manager’s competences. It will also be easy to detect project

failures as a result of unfit competences of project managers.

1.8.4 To the Government of Cameroon: The government of Cameroon being a strong and

main initiator of public contracts in Cameroon will benefits in terms of increased public

project success. The results and proposals of the research will create awareness in contracts

10
award decision making and the management department of projects will be proactive in the

identification of hindrances and loop holes to the achievement of their objectives.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Project: A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.

Temporary means that the project has a definite end point, and unique means that the product

or service differs in some distinguishing way from all similar products, service, or result.

Project are undertaken to fulfill objectives by producing deliverables. Projects drive change in

organizations and move organizations from present state to desired future state.

Project manager (PM): A PM is a person assigned by the performing organization to lead

the project team that is responsible for achieving the project objectives (PMBOK, 2006). He

is a person who has the overall responsibility for the successful initiation, planning, execution,

monitoring and controlling and successful conclusion of a project.

Project Manager’s Competencies: These are a cluster of related knowledge, attitudes, skills,

experience and other personal characteristics that affects a major part of one's job such as:

ability to control processes and activities in a result-oriented manner, Ensures project

progress, and Stress tolerance. The international Project Management Association (IPMA)

Competence Baseline divides project manager competencies into three groups: technical,

behavioral and contextual (Capin et al. 2006

Contextual Competency: The contextual competencies range involves the competencies

related strictly to the context of a specific project, such as development and programming

skills, business knowledge, knowledge of legal issues, and others

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Technical Competency: The technical competency refers to competency related to project

management itself, for example, project planning, time management, etc These are the identified

professional practice gap of the learner that can be based on a range of needs. One of such

need includes project management knowledge areas that is the range of one’s information or

understanding, the sum of what is known.

Behavioral Competency: Behavioral competencies are to do with the personal abilities and

skills of the project manager such as leadership, creativity and commitment. (Capin et al.

2006). It is the ability to select, maintain or adapt one’s best attitudes for the present situation.

Behavior in a given situation can be viewed as a function of the individual’s attitude towards

the situation.

Project Success: This has to do with effectively and efficiently achieving all project

objectives in scope, on time, within budget and performance standards. The traditional project

management metrics of time, scope, cost and quality was used to determine whether a project

was successful. More recent approach holds that a successful project should meet the project’s

objectives. The determination of what success is, should be defined before the project start so

that at the end, results will be compared against the initially agreed success parameter. The

success parameters can include but not limited to, meeting the business case nonfinancial

objective, fulfilling contractors’ terms and conditions, achieving stakeholders’ satisfaction,

movement of an organization from the present state to the desired future state and meeting

agreed upon quality of delivery.

Project Failure: This is not achieving all project objectives in scope, on time and within

budget in an effective and efficient manner.

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 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

The chapter two of this research is divided into three sections. The first is the Conceptual

review that deals with the concept of project managers and their various competences. The

Theoretical frame work which comprises of reviewing the different theories related to this

work. The Empirical framework which comprises of reviewing the work done by other

authors which will be by the specific objectives. Lastly, the Gap that analyzes the difference

between the work identified and the present research being carried out.

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2.2 Conceptual Literature

2.2.1 Project Management Competences

2.2.1.1 Project and Project Management

In doing business on a day- to- day basis, strategic plans such as development of a new

product, adoption of new technology, customers growth, product innovation will emerge

projects implementing. Projects serve as catalysts for new strategy development, in doing so

they drive competitive advantage and business success (Koh & Crawford, 2013). But projects

themselves may not be the final goal, they are instrumental in moving organizations from

their present state to the desired future state. As per the study by Serra & Kunc (2015) they

agreed and indicated that projects are essential in converting corporate vision into reality. PMI

defined project as a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service

(PMI, 2006). Project managers should possess certain competencies during the project’s life

cycle of; initiating a project, planning a project, executing a project, monitoring and

controlling a project and closing a project.

Among the phases of projects, project initiation is the one which will be done as a first task.

Once a project is initiated, it moves through the lifecycle of the project progressing at a pace

established by the project manager operating within the constraints of available resources and

environmental factors towards the attainment of established objectives of the project. Project

manager selection procedure is critical success factor for projects (Parker & Skitmore, 2005).

Therefore, the process of selecting a project manager is integral to successful completion of

all other project processes from planning through closure. The reality is that only a small

percentage of project managers, or those technical specialists available to assume the project

14
management role are capable of handling the larger more complex projects that are critical to

the enterprise (Hauschildt, Keim, & Medcof, 2000).

As per the definition by PMI (2021), in the Project Management Body of Knowledge

(PMBOK) Project Management is the application of knowledge skills, tools and techniques to

project activities in order to meet project requirements. Project management refers to guiding

the project work to deliver the intended outcome through different approaches (predictive,

adaptive and hybrid). With the use of the right tools and techniques, it will be possible to

achieve the objectives of the project, and this is where the competency concept emerges.

Thus, organizations are wise to put those outstanding project managers with strongest set of

project management competences on most key projects. However, most individuals inherently

have some basic levels of project management competency and that competency is increased

through training and experience over time (PMBOK, 2006). Therefore, it is necessary for the

organizations to understand the level of their staff's skills and match them to projects that they

can handle. This will develop project management competencies by learning through

experience as a continuous skill. Depending on the project scenario and interpersonal

dynamics of the project team, often the manner and personality of the person being assigned

as a project manager is more important than their specific project management skills (Muller

& Turner, 2009).

As per Cooke-Davies (2002), for the larger more complex projects a key skill required for the

project manager is the ability to anticipate, recognize, assess, and address risk areas that arise

throughout the project cycle, particularly those inherited from the initiation phase. Aiming at

projects of any significance, the project manager is not doing the work of the project but

rather coordinating others in performing the tasks that will produce the short-term

15
deliverables and ultimate project outcome. The most effective way for the project manager to

oversee many diverse activities is not to focus on the activity but to focus on risks that will

affect that activity. By identifying risk areas early, measures can be taken to avoid, prepare

for, or otherwise mitigate the potential damage of the risk event (PMI, 2004). The effective

project manager will focus on the cost, quality, and time triangle as their primary metric for

self-assessment throughout the duration of a project. By constantly looking for risk potential

in terms of these three factors, the project manager will optimize their performance that

should lead to project outcome success.

2.2.1.2 Project Managers competency

Ireland (1992) described that project manager is the person, who sets the expectations for a

project. The project manager sets the expected output in terms of cost, quality and time and

makes sure they are not totally conflicted. Often, he showed project manager is the person

blamed when various dissatisfaction arises amongst team members and customers,

irrespective of industry. PM Bok (2021) defined a project manager as the person assigned by

the performing organization to lead the team that is responsible for achieving the project

objective. He is in charge of identifying requirements, establishing clear and achievable

objectives, balancing the competing demands for quality, scope, time and cost and finally

adapting the specifications, plans, and approach to the different concerns and expectations of

the various stakeholders.

However, they need to rely on others to get the scope of work complete, and if it is a large

complex project, they rely on others to complete parts of the project management activity as

well. A project manager is entirely different from a functional or operations manager. The

project manager is considered responsible for project completion, but final decision-making is

16
in the hands of the project executives and sponsors. Furthermore, the project manager has to

direct and control the performing organization, which in a more functional based organization

or with external performers can affect the ability of the project manager to drive task

completion (Feeny & Willcocks, 1998). Alexander & Robertson (2004) further explained that,

regardless of the project structure an organization adopts, the stakeholder’s group is often not

within the project manager's range of contacts, although those stakeholders will still be in

place after the project completes, where the project manager will most likely to be assigned to

another project.

Competency is defined as the ability to mobilize, integrate and transfer knowledge, skills and

resources to reach or surpass the configured performance in work assignments, adding

economic and social value to the organization and the individual (Takey & Carvalho, 2015).

Also, Bredillet et al. (2015) extensively evaluated the competency dimensions and assert that

there are three key dimensions: skills, knowledge and core personality characteristics.

Competencies have a wide range of uses that includes training and development, selection of

candidates, performance management, motivation and rewarding (Mulder, 2001). The

performance and the job roles are clearly defined based on the competency of an individual,

so that the human resource can function more efficiently (Wesselink et al., 2005). Project

management competency continuously emerges as a key factor influencing project success

(Joseph, Erasmus & Marnewick 2014).

The Project Management Competency Development (PMCD) Framework describes project

manager's competency as the process by which the project manager continuously applies his

knowledge, skills and personal behaviors with the intention of delivering projects that will

meet the requirements of the different stakeholders (PMI, 2006). Competencies of project

17
management are of a common consensus that there are competencies that should be possessed

by project managers to ensure success on projects. According to research, competence is a

combination of skills, knowledge and individual characteristics (Crawford, 2005) Muller and

Turner (2010) have indicated there was a positive correlation between project success and

leadership competence of a project manager. This competence focuses on how the project

manager guides, inspires and motivates team members and other project stakeholders to

manage and overcome issues to effectively achieve project objectives.

2.2.1.3 Dimensions of Project Manager’s Competencies

Contextual Competencies

The contextual competencies involve the competencies related strictly to the context of a

specific project, such as development and programming knowledge, business knowledge,

knowledge of legal issues, and others. These are the knowledge and skills that project

managers need to navigate the organizational and environmental factors that impact their

projects, such as stakeholder management, strategic thinking, and change management.

PMBOK Guide (2006) defined explicit knowledge is within the 10 knowledge areas which

provides explicit knowledge regarding managing projects. Tacit knowledge is the kind of

knowledge that is difficult to transfer to another person by means of writing it down or

verbalizing it but is primarily attained through experience (Nonaka & Takeuchi 1995; Nonaka

& Toyama 2015; Pant & Baroudi 2008). This knowledge is extremely difficult to

communicate and share as it is imbedded in a person’s experience, revolving around beliefs,

perceptions and values. Alternatively, there is knowledge pertaining to the organization,

industry and project type, such as engineering, information systems and finance (Bredillet et

al. 2013). Industry, organizational and project type knowledge is both explicit and tacit as

18
both knowledge types inform the various phases and processes during a project (Holzmann,

2013).

Technical Competency

Technical Competencies are the abilities required to apply specific technical principles and

information in a job function or role. They are usually learned in an educational environment

or on the job. According to Peter & Randolph (2009), Project management skills are often

classified as technical or soft skills. Technical skills refer to the abilities and techniques

needed to perform specific tasks to understand and apply various tools and techniques

pertaining to projects in general as well as specific projects such as information systems

projects (Keil, Lee & Deng 2013). They are practical, and often relate to mechanical,

information technology, mathematical, or scientific tasks. Also, El-Sabaa (2001) showed that

these skills are primarily developed through training and experience.

Behavioral Competency

Behavioral competencies are any behaviors, attitudes, or personality traits that help predict

how successful an individual will be at the job. Boyatzi (1982) described behavior as, a

capacity that exists in a person that leads to behavior that meets the job demands within

parameters of organizational environment, and that, in turn brings about desired results. It is

the sum total of a person’s disposition towards the job seen in his involvement, organizational

commitment and overall satisfaction to meet the job requirements and the ability to bring in

desired result. The personal characteristics of project managers play a more pivotal role in

project management than previously believed (Bakhsheshi & Nejad 2011). The behavior of a

project manager directly impacts their ability to manage a project effectively and efficiently.

19
Furthermore, their personal characteristics are fundamentally linked to their personality.

Characteristics relating to people’s interactions are the most prevalent, which correspond to

the notion that project management is primarily people management. Delivering successful

projects requires a project manager to be firm whilst being able to negotiate, as these are key

to effective leadership and ensuring project team members fulfil their responsibilities. Cohen,

Ornoy & Keren (2013) expanded their study and discovered more about project managers’

personalities. They discovered that project managers have intuitive and thinking

characteristics which primarily align to the soft skills required. As per the study by

Bakhsheshi & Nejad (2011) on the relationship between project types and project manager’s

Attitude, Projects were classified as: urgent, complex, novel and normal. Honesty and being

reliable is prevalent in all project types for effective attitude development.

2.2.2 Project Success

2.2.2.1 Meaning of Project Success

Project success was initially defined as whether the final output of the project functioned or

not. It then evolved into the triple constraint of time, cost and quality. PMI (2006) instructs

that success criteria should be established at the very beginning of the project or before

starting a new phase of the project. Doing so can improve deliverable acceptance, customer

and stakeholder satisfaction (PMI, 2006). Wateridge (1998) adds that unless the project team

agrees on the success criteria before the project starts, the individuals involved will travel in

different directions and some will see the project as a failure.

Projects will use as a means to achieve business objectives that has increased over the past

decades (Papke-Shields et al., 2010; Todorovic et al., 2015). Along with increased business

practice and growth in membership of project management professional bodies the subject of

20
project management has received large interest from scholars (Cooke-Davies, 2002).

However, despite column-miles of studies and publications the academia fails to present a

consistent interpretation of the term "project success" (Baccarini, 1999; Thomas & Fernández,

2008). In an extensive review of literature on project success Müller & Jugdev (2012)

concludes that no clear definition exists and stresses the need for measurable constructs of

project success. PMI (2006) describes the fundamental success criteria of delivering project

scope on time and on budget. Project success is measured against the overall objectives of the

project whereas project management success is measured against the traditional measures of

performance such as completing project within time, cost, and meeting scope and quality

(Cooke-Davies, 2002). Project success is among the most researched topics in project

management because of the importance in understanding how to define success and what

factors contribute to achieving it.

Despite this the term project success still remains diffuse and often in the eye of the beholder

(Judgev & Müller, 2005). The measures used to judge the success or failure of a project,

called success criteria, and are the dependent variables that measure success per Morris &

Hough (1987). Defining and agreeing upon project success criteria to make project success

measurable is a way to overcome the subjective interpretation of project success (Muller &

Turner, 2007). Among the duty of project manager, determining the success of ongoing

project in terms of cost, time and expectation of stakeholders are the major once. As stated by

Scott, (2013) the main indicator of success of the project is comprised of on time completion

of work, not face cost overrun and finish the work under budget, and most significantly meet

the minimum expected quality standard for the desire of customers. As found in several

literature works that ultimate success of a project lies in the accomplishment of the proposed

21
reason. One significant part to ensure the success of the project is associated with expressing

deliverables of the project. Another view from other relevant researcher has provided the

concept that consideration of time and spending of money on the objective of project purpose

usually define success. The assurance of project success is associated with administrators of

organization that connects all assets, abilities and unpredictable parameters of project (Scott,

2013).

The Iron Triangle was originally conceived as a framework to enable project managers to

evaluate and balance the competing demands of Cost, Time and Quality within their projects

(Atkinson, 1999). Subsequently it has become the de-facto method to define and measure

project success, with the general perception amongst project managers that a successful

project is based upon these three criteria alone (Shenhar & Dvir, 2007). Any attempt to

deviate from, or supplement the three criteria that make up the Iron Triangle is often

considered a problem that must be either corrected or prevented in the first place (Shenhar &

Dvir, 2007; Turner & Bredillet, 2009). The Iron Triangle Centre to the concept of the Iron

Triangle is the mutual dependency between the three constraints: increasing quality will

increase the amount of time needed, which also will lead to an increase in cost. A tight time

schedule could lead to a decrease in quality and subsequent increase in cost (Morris &

Sember, 2008). However, the validity of the iron triangle and the traditional triple constraints

of time, cost and quality, have been debated throughout the academic and industry literature

on project management. Shenhar & Dvir (2007) questions the validity of the Iron Triangle.

Furthermore, Garrett (2008) quoting Shenhar at a PMI meeting, suggests that the three

traditional time, cost, quality factors are strictly efficiency based, whereas the focus should be

shifted to more business - oriented results and customer satisfaction. This opens for the

22
question whether sustainability can be seen as a new concept to consider in connection with

the Iron Triangle as a planning tool since with project management comes changes. Research

suggests that current standards for project management fail to seriously address the

sustainability issues, or equip project managers with the tools necessary for them to integrate

sustainability principles into the project planning, and operation (Silvius & Schipper 2011).

2.2.2.2 Measures of Project Success

Time: All projects are constrained to a time frame during which they are to be completed. No

projects are intended to continue forever. Thus, one of the basic requirements that control

project management and determine its success is whether it is completed on established

schedule (Pinto, 2013).

Cost: All projects are constrained to a limited budget; no company has unlimited resources to

spend on projects. Projects also compete for resources between each other. In order to use

resources efficiently projects must adhere to approved budget. Thus, the second requirement

that control project management is whether it is completed within budget guidelines or not

(Pinto, 2013).

Quality: All projects are produced to meet some form of technical specification determined at

project initiation. Thus, measuring success equals determining to what extent the project

fulfills the specification (Pinto, 2013).

2.2.2.3 Conceptual Framework of the Study

The study is designed to research the effect of Project Manager’s competencies on project

success. The model was adapted from Araujo & Pedron (2015) on their study “The IT project

manager competencies that impact project success – A qualitative research”. The definition of

23
competence has been the object of continuing debate and remains a contentious topic in the

organizational literature (Crawford 2005). The research defined competence as a combined

set of an individual’s knowledge, skill, personal characteristics (Attitude) used to perform a

specific task or activity ((Capin et al., 2006); Crawford 2005; Müller & Turner (2009)).

Project manager competencies are divided into three groups: technical, behavioral and

contextual (Capin et al., 2006). As stated, the technical competencies refer to competencies

related to project management itself, for example, project planning, time management, etc.

Behavioral competencies are to do with the personal abilities and skills of the project manager

such as leadership, creativity and commitment. The contextual competencies range involves

the competencies related strictly to the context of a specific project, such as development and

programming skills, business knowledge, knowledge of legal issues, and others (Capin et al.

2006).

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

Project Manager’s Competences

Contextual Competence

Project
Technical Competence Success

Behavioral Competence

24
Figure 2.1: Conceptual Framework

Source: Adapted from Capin et al. 2006

Based on Figure 2.1, this study considered contextual, technical and behavioral competencies

as sub independent variables of project manager’s competencies In addition, project success is

considered as a dependent variable based on the iron triangle captured in terms of project cost,

time and quality

2.3 Theoretical Review

2.3.1 Human Capital Theory: The theory of human capital was propounded by Becker and

Schultzterm in 1962 and stated that there is no substitute for knowledge and learning,

creativity and innovation, competencies and capabilities. They need to be relentlessly pursued

and focused on the firm’s environmental context and competitive logic (Rastogi, 2000). The

theory highlights that labour capital is not homogenous. Such a consideration leads to the

conclusion that the accumulation of exceptionally talented individuals is not enough for the

organization, there must also be a desire on the part of individuals to invest their skills and

expertise in the organization and their position.

Human capital is generally understood to consist of the individual’s capabilities, knowledge,

skills and experience of the company’s employees and managers (Dess & Picken, 2000).

Investment in human capital includes formal education, off-the-job training and on-the-job

training (Becker, 1962). According to Becker (1962), skills can be acquired through education

and (formal) training but also (and mainly) through the course of people’s activities at work

(learning-by-doing). Rosen (1986) points to the fact that most specific job skills are learned

from performing the work activities themselves. He goes on to argue that there is no perfect

25
substitute for apprenticeship and for work experience itself. Learning potential is viewed as a

by-product of the work environment, tied to a specific work activity, but varying from activity

to activity and from job to job. The knowledge and skills a worker has which come from

education and training, including the learning that experience yields, generate a certain stock

of productive capital. Job search and migration are activities that increase the value of one’s

human capital by increasing the price received for a given stock of skills. A manager’s

experience is measured in terms of time in years, past involvement and should reflect in the

quality of his work (Rodrigues & Lopes, 1997).

2.3.2 Reinforcement Theory

The reinforcement theory by B.F. Skinner in the year 1957 is a psychological principle

constructed on the foundations of E. L. Thorndike’s law of effect suggesting that behaviors

are shaped by their consequences. The theory looks at the relationship between behavior and

consequences and stated that learning what is to an organization influences motivated

behavior. The theory is focused on modifying employees’ on-the-job behavior through the

appropriate use of reinforcement techniques. Managers who are trying to motivate their

employees should endeavor to tell individuals who are doing what is not right and to be sure

not to reward all individuals at the same time. The theory is about positive and negative

reinforcement techniques to shape employees’ behavior. While positive reinforcement is

meant to encourage a desired behavior, negative reinforcement is intended to rebuke an

undesired behavior.

2.3.2.1 Positive Reinforcement (Reward)

26
This constitutes pay rise, promotion, recognition. Reward for positive behavior will increase

the possibility of that deserved behavior repeated.

2.3.2.2 Negative Reinforcement techniques

Extinction

This involves basically ignoring the behavior of a subordinate by not providing either positive

or negative reinforcement. This technique he recommended to be used when the supervisor

perceives the behavior as temporary, not typical and not serious.

Punishment

Negative consequences such as threats, docking pay and suspension are used to decrease the

likelihood of a behavior recurring by applying them.

This theory is selected and suitable for this study since it’s focus on employees behavior and

the study is also about behavioral consequences on project success.

2.4 Empirical Review

Ehsan. Et. al. (2010) with a study titled “Effects of Project Manager’s Competency on Project

Success” expressed project manager’s knowledge areas play a vital role in the successes or

failure of projects and an experienced Project Manager will possess particular uniqueness that

will enhance the team performance and his planning based on his project management skills

that include integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resource, communication

management, risk and procurement management. All these areas contribute positively and

significantly in project success.

27
Muller & Jugdev (2012) study titled: “Critical success factors in projects Pinto, Slevin, and

Prescott - the elucidation of project success”, aimed to discuss the reasons for the impact of

these seminal contributions and how the topic of project success continues to evolve. This

paper analyzes the popularity of Pinto and his colleagues' contributions to project success and

reviews the development of this field of research since then. The findings stated that project

success remains a vibrant school of thought as do the earlier definitions, measurement scales

and dimensions, and assessment techniques that Pinto and his colleagues developed. The

authors view success more broadly and think of it strategically because they consider longer-

term business objectives.

Narh (2013) study titled: “Competencies of an Effective Project Manager”. The paper

proposed a possible relation amongst the elements of these leadership competencies.

Technical competencies, in conjunction with the Project Management Body of Knowledge

guide knowledge areas include scope, scheduling, risk, health and safety, communication,

information, procurement management, value addition, and the management of the iron

triangle of cost time and quality. This study used the interviewing methodology with hundreds

of project managers. From these analyses, the paper summed up the key competencies of an

effective project manager and briefly explains the relevance of each competence in project

management.

Wiangnak & Lekcharoen (2014) a study titled: “The Causal Relationship Model of Project

Managers’ Competencies Influences: Efficiency of ICT Project Management”. The objective

was to develop and validate a causal relationship between project managers’ competencies

and efficiency of project management. They found that many papers have discussed the

competency of project managers, but they could not find any studies said about the causal

28
relationship model between project managers’ competencies and efficiency of project

management in Thailand. The model consisted of four latent variables: knowledge areas,

technical and managerial skill, personal attributes, and efficiency of project management. The

survey sample consisted of 218 project managers in companies under the ICT (Thailand)

industry. Thus, the result showed that knowledge areas, technical and managerial skill and

personal attributes has direct influence on the efficiency of project management. Therefore,

project managers’ competencies were positively correlated and affected efficiency of project

success.

Cech & Chadt (2015) with study titled: "Project Manager and his/hers Competencies"

discussed that competencies of a project manager are formed by a set of knowledge, skills,

ways of behavior and attitudes and related experience. It is a way by which a project manager

asserts his/her own professional knowledge to terminate a project successfully. The

methodology was by using a survey that distributed to around 200 project managers. The

result showed that high performance competencies enable the project managers to manage

their projects efficiently.

Briere, et. al. (2015) study titled: “Competencies of project managers in international NGOs:

Perceptions of practitioners”, aimed at identifying competencies of international development

project managers and how these competencies are used in projects. In this study, 28 project

managers were interviewed. The study results identified 11 competencies, of which ten are

related to human aspects; adaptability, set of knowledge (general, international development,

intercultural), communication, personal qualities, interpersonal skills, leadership, ethics, local

22 network and knowledge, capacity building, and change management. The study also

pointed the importance of human skills and behavioral competencies in project management.

29
Abebaw (2016) with a study titled “Assessment of the Roles and Competencies of the Project

Managers as Success Factors in Development Projects of Addis Ababa/Ethiopia” showed

Some of the project manager’s competencies demonstrate a positively significant relationship

with certain project success variables in the context of Ethiopian development projects.

Project requirement and objective, decision making in procurement and Information and

communication among the technical competencies; leadership and communication among

behavioral competencies and stakeholder analysis and management and power and authority

among contextual competencies appeared as significant predictor of success.

Abebe (2017) with a study titled “An Assessment of Project Managers competency in

Tekeleberhan Ambaye Construction PLC” expressed among factors contributing to project

success, one of the most important is the effectiveness of the project manager. The

investigation discussed in this paper reveals that a static list of project manager skills and

competencies may not most effectively reflect the skills and competencies that will be most

important for them on projects. This is particularly relevant because projects have differing

characteristics and are delivered in a changing business environment, and different

combinations of skills and competencies may be most important.

30
 CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design

This study adopted the cross-sectional survey research design in order to investigate the effect

of project manager’s competences on the success of projects in companies in the Buea

Municipality. The researcher selected this research design for this study due to the fact that it

helps to gather data from a sample of the population of companies in the Buea Municipality at

the time of this research. Also, this cross-sectional survey research design was adopted for

this study due to the fact that it helps this study to find out the opinions of cross- section of the

population (managers). Furthermore, this survey was adopted in this study in order to obtain

information using questionnaires about the preferences, the thoughts and feelings of managers

of Companies in Buea.

This research design provides an avenue for the results of this study to be extrapolated to the

entire population (all companies operating in the Cameroon territory). To continue with, the

cross-sectional survey research design was adopted in this work because it is suitable for the

collection of data using questionnaires designed by the researcher capturing project

competences and project success. In this light, this research design enables the researcher to

understand the characteristics, attitudes or behavior of the respondents from companies

operating in Buea. Finally, the survey design adopted for this study was the one that did not

just provide simple frequency counts but that which presented relational and multi-level

analysis for the study.

31
3.2 Area of the Study

Buea is the capital of the Southern Region of Cameroon. The town is located on the eastern

slopes of mount Cameroon and has a population of 90, 088 according to the 2005 census. The

town has great touristic potential inherent not only from the mountain, but also due to its rich

colonial and post-colonial history, being the colonial capital of German Kamerun from 1901

to 1919 and the capital of southern Cameroon from 1949 to 1961. The city also hosts the

University of Buea which is the first Anglo-Saxon University in the country, the second being

the University of Bamenda. Buea is today an important educational and trade center,

represented by the ever-increasing number of higher institutions as well as Commercial Banks

branch offices. Because of its location at the foot of Mount Cameroon, the climate in Buea

tends to be humid, with the neighborhoods at higher elevations enjoying cooler temperatures

while the lower neighborhoods experience a hotter climate, extended periods of rainfall,

characterized by incessant drizzle which can last for days. Are common during the rainy

season are damp fogs, rolling off the mountain into the town.

Agriculture is the main economic activity of the inhabitants of Buea Municipality. The

agriculture practice is subsistence farming and plantation agriculture dominated by the

Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC). The urban nature of Buea Municipality is seen

by the proliferation of higher institutions both public and lay private. Some of these

institutions include; with most prominent being the University of Buea (UB), Local

Government Training Center (CEFAM), National Advanced School Of Public Works, Post

and Telecommunication school, CHITECHMA University, HIBMAT, etc, the growing

nature of the population that has attracted the proliferation of business activities in the

32
Municipality, banks and microfinance Institutions have for the last decade extended most of

their branches in the Buea Municipality, many of which are concentrated in the Molyko

neighborhood.

There are a good number of companies operating in the Buea Municipality that boast out the

Municipality’s economic activities. These companies are responsible for the up growth of the

Municpality. These companies are operated in three main sectors in the likes of the

agriculture, buildings construction sector and the service sector. Some of these companies

include the likes of Landmark construction Ltd, Shareg Co Ltd, NADEV Ltd, CAPAC

COOP- BOD, Cam Agric, Hadaltd, United Action26, Agrohouse Ltd, Ets Diamand,

Soloybosscoltd, Hoptec Industry, Ngwa Global Ltd, Dikote Ltd etc.

3.3 Population of the Study

The population of this study consists of contracts executing companies in Buea Municipality.

The target population comprises of all the Managing Directors General Managers, Chair

persons of these companies because they are better placed to give information on the success

of projects in their companies or projects that their companies have undertaken. These

consisted of 20 companies from 3 sectors of the economy and with three respondents from

each of the companies giving a total population of 60 respondents.

33
Table 3.1: Population of the Study

Target Population Population

Agric Companies 33

Construction 15

Service 12

Total 60

Table 3.1 illustrates the target population of this study. Based on the table, the total population

constitute a total of 60 senior executives from companies in 3 different sectors of the economy

in Buea Municipality.

3.4 Sampling Procedures and Sample Size

Target Population Population Sample Size

Agric Companies 33 31
Construction 15 13
Service 12 8
Total 60 52

The sampling technique that was used in this study was the stratified sampling technique

which is one of the probability sampling techniques. This study adopted the stratified random

technique because the population of the study which is the managers of companies in Buea is

heterogeneous in nature. That is, all the institutions under investigation are different in terms

of domains (sectors). So, the population was sub-divided in to three sub groups called strata of

which each group is now homogenous in nature. In this light, it will enable the researcher to

obtain a sample population that best represent the entire population being studied and makes

sure that each sub-group of interest is represented. This stratified random method has sample

34
error which is overlapping when some subjects fall into multiple sub group and are likely

chosen.

Table 3.2: Sample size of the Study

Based on Table 3.2, with the stratified sampling applied, the various stratum now has a

population where all the elements have similar characteristics. In this light, a proportion of 31

senior executives were selected from the Agric sector, 13 selected from the construction

sector, 8 selected from the service sector from a total of 60 Senior executive staff of

companies in Buea randomly. This jointly constituted a sample size of 52 senior executive

staff as respondents of the study. These 52 senior executive staff of companies in Buea as

sample size from 60 was obtained using the sample size determination table by Morgan

(1970).

3.5 Instruments

The research instruments used for data collection in this study was the questionnaire. The

researcher used the closed ended, structured questions which were Likert-scale type,

consisting of five scale response options: Strongly Disagreed (SD), Disagree (D), Neutral (N),

Agree (A) and Strongly Agree (SA). The questionnaire were arranged so as to make them fit

well the specific objectives of this study. It contained items on all the specific research

objectives and respondents were expected to choose only one answer. The questionnaire

consisted of a cover letter (stating the objective and purpose of the research and other issues

related to the ethics of research). Demographic information were elicited in the first section of

the questionnaire and the information needed to answer the research questions under each

35
specific research objective on the other sections of the questionnaire. The questionnaire were

administered to managers of companies in the Buea Municipality.

Validation of the Questionnaire

The questionnaire was validated using face validity and content validity. After constructing

the questionnaire, it was presented to the supervisor of the thesis for scrutiny and cross

checking. Adjustments were further made following the supervisors’ remarks and corrections

to make the questionnaire appropriate for the study. Also, content validity of the items in the

questionnaire was done by evaluating them in terms of their relevance to the variables,

research questions and the objectives of the study. Adjustments were further made following

the supervisor’s remarks and observations. Content validity of the questionnaire was further

ensured through providing the questionnaire to four other academic staff to judge the content

of the research instrument as well as comparing it to that of other previous studies related to

this study.

Reliability of Instrument

A pilot study was carried out on 15 managers selected from the 15 companies in the Buea

Municipality with one being selected from each of the companies to check the reliability and

suitability of the instrument used. After the pilot-study the reliability of the instruments was

calculated using the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α). An anxiety for reliability was important

in this study because reliability is a necessary condition for validity and consequently, without

reliability there can be no valid results (McMillan & Schumacher 2001). The Cronbach Alpha

reliability coefficients ranged from 0.70 to 0.90 which was valued as being very satisfactory

for the study.

36
3.6 Data Collection

3.6.1 Sources Data Collection

This study used the primary source in collecting the data for this study on project manager’s

competences and the project success of contracting companies operating in the Buea

Municipality. This particular source of data was selected for this study due to the fact that the

primary data for this study can be divided in two main groups which are the quantitative and

qualitative data. The quantitative data method is based on mathematical calculations in

various formats and it makes use of closed ended questionnaires which are suitable for this

study. The qualitative data method on its side are cheaper to apply and can be applied on a

short period of time compared to the quantitative method and it is easier to make

comparisons. Finally, the primary source of data was selected due to the fact that in the

primary source of data, the data collected from state-owned enterprises is in the form required

and it is collected by the researcher himself at the time he needs it. Also, it makes use of

questionnaires as this work use questionnaires to collect data from selected senior executive

staff of companies in Buea.

3.6.2 Nature of Data Collected

This study used the cross-sectional data which was collected by observing various economic

entities (the different contracting companies in Baua) at the same point in time (2023). This

cross-sectional data was analyzed by comparing the differences within the subjects (general

managers, Managing Directors and chair persons of companies). Basically, this cross-

sectional data was collected from all the participants (related senior executives of companies)

at the same time. This nature of data was selected because firstly, time is not considered as a

study variable during cross sectional research and cross-sectional data is collected from the

37
participants within a shorter time frame which is also known as field period. Secondly, the

choice of this nature of data is due to the fact that cross-sectional data study can be conducted

in less time. Finally, its choice is due to the fact that all the variables of this study are

collected at the same point in time.

3.7 Data Analysis Procedure

The qualitative data that was collected from the field, both the demographic items were coded

with numbers and each of the questionnaires were coded with a serial number as well in order

to transform the qualitative data to quantitative data. The essence of this coding of each

questionnaire before data entering was to ensure easy cross verification of the data set based

on the individual responses of the respondents. The quantitative data further obtained from

coding was then analysed using both the descriptive and inferential statistics. The descriptive

statistics was considered for this study through the use of; tables, percentages, bar charts, pie

charts, frequency distribution tables, mean and standard deviation in order to give more

meaning to this study. The descriptive statistics as an instrument of data analysis which is

descriptive in nature helped in the clear presentation of the data in a way that the readers of

the work can easily understand and interpret the results.

The Inferential statistics for this study made use of the regression technique of estimation for

the study which focused on examining the effect of project manager’s competences on the

project success of contracting companies in Buea municipality. This regression model used in

this study basically specified the relation of project success (dependent variable) to the

function combination of the role of manager’s competences (independent variable) and

unknown parameters to be estimated by the study.

Model Specification

38
Dependent Variable (Y) = Project Success, measured in terms of compliance to the iron

triangle of Time, Cost and Scope of the project.

Independent Variable (X) = Project Manger’s Competences (Conceptual Competency (CC),

Technical Competency (TC) and Behavioral Competency (BC))

Project Success (Y) = f (CC, TC and BC) ……………… (1)

Y = β0 + β1CC + β2TC +β3BC + µ………………………………………... (2)

Where β0, β1, β2 andβ3 are the parameters to be estimated and µ is the error term or stochastic

term.

3.8 Ethical Considerations

The researcher of this study respected the aspect of inform consent. That is the research

informed the respondents what was expected from them in this study in terms of manager’s

competences rather than surprising them on things they were not aware of in the study.

The researcher showed concern over the welfare of the respondents of the study. This had to

do with the mental and physical welfare of the respondents and there was a disclosure of what

compensation and medical treatment were available in case of a research related injury in the

course of the work.

More, the research was honest during the reporting of the data collected on manger’s

competences and project success for this study. That is, the data reported was the exact data

collected from the respondents who were managers in the field and not fabricated data by the

researcher to suit his requirement of the study.

39
Furthermore, the aspect of confidentiality was deeply considered by the researcher. The

researcher showed respect for the respondent’s privacy which is very important. There were

clear agreements between the researcher and the respondents where the research promised to

not leak out to the general public the given private information of the respondents of the study

for those were vital information for the respondents of the study.

Finally, there was not any form of deception by the researcher. That is, researcher avoided

deceiving the respondents by creating false impressions about the study in the minds of the

respondents so as to collect information on manger’s competences and project success from

them easily and in the form they required.

40
 CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

4.1 Presentation of Results

4.1.1 Response Rate

Table 4.1: Response Rate of Respondents

Questionnaires Frequency Percentages

Number Distributed 52 100%

Number Collected 50 96.1%

Number Missing 2 3.9%

Total 52 100%

Source: Field Survey (2023)

Based on the results presented on Table 4.1, 52 questionnaires were distributed to be filled by

respondents who were senior executives of companies in the Buea Municipality. Out of this

number of questionnaires, 50 were returned while 2 were missing there by making a response

rate of 96.1%.

41
4.1.2 Gender of Respondents

Figure 4.1: Gender of Respondents

Source: Field Survey (2023)

Based on the results presented on Figure 4.1, there was an unequal gender proportion of the

respondents 60% were males while 40% of the respondents were females. This implies a

greater proportion of senior executives of contracting companies in the Buea Municipality are

males as compared to females.

42
4.1.3 Age Group of Respondents

Figure 4.2: Age Group of Respondents

Source: Field Survey (2023)

Based on the results presented on Figure 4.2, a greater proportion of the respondents (44%)

were in the interval 20 to 30 years old, 32.5% were above 40 years old while 23.5% were in

the interval 31 to 40 years. This implies more senior executives of contracting companies in

the Buea Municipality in this study were below 40 years.

43
4.1.4 Educational Qualification of Respondents

Figure 4.3: Educational Qualification of Respondents

Source: Field Survey (2023)

Based on the results presented on Figure 4.3, a greater proportion of the respondents (52%)

had postgraduate degrees while 48% of them had undergraduate degrees. This implies more

than 50% of managers of companies in the Buea Municipality had post graduate degrees in

relation to educational qualification and the least educational qualification is undergraduate.

44
4.1.5 Work Experience or Longevity

Figure 4.4: Work Experience or Longevity of Respondents

Source: Field Survey (2023)

Based on the results presented on Figure 4.4, a greater proportion of the respondents (57%)

had been working for a period of 10 years and above, 27% of them had been working between

5 to 10 years, 9.5% of them for 2 to 4 years while 6.5% of them for a period of 2 years and

lesser. This implies more than 50% senior executives of contracting companies in the Buea

Municipality had work experience of 5 years and above.

45
4.2 Presentation of Descriptive Results

4.2.1 Conceptual Competency

Table 4.2: Conceptual Competency

Indicators SD D N A SA

The project manager makes strategic business 10.1% 24.5% 0.0% 44.6% 20.9%

analysis before deciding the course of action

The project manager is sensitive to legal 14.4% 17.3% 8.6% 45.3% 14.4%

procedures and implications and incorporates

them in decision making

The project manager has a clear vision and 5.8% 0.0% 4.3% 72.7% 17.3%

imagination for the future direction of the

organization

The project manager is proactive in identifying 18.2% 13.3% 6.1% 45.1% 17.3%

problems and quick in decision making

Source: Field Survey (2023)

Based on the results presented on Table 4.2, 65.5% of the respondents agreed and strongly

agreed to the statement that the project manager makes strategic business analysis before

deciding the course of action, 34.6% disagreed to this statement while 0% were neutral. Also,

59.7% of the respondents agreed and strongly agreed to the statement that the project manager

is sensitive to legal procedures and implications and incorporates them in decision making,

31.7% disagreed to this statement while 8.6% were neutral. Also, 90% of the respondents

agreed and strongly agreed to the statement that the project manager has a clear vision and

46
imagination for the future direction of the organization, 5.8% disagreed to this statement

while 4.3% were neutral. Finally, 65.5% of the respondents agreed and strongly agreed to the

statement that the project manager is proactive in identifying problems and quick in decision

making, while 34.5% disagreed to this statement with 0.0% were neutral.

4.2.3 Technical Competency

Table 4.3: Technical Competency

Indicators SD D N A SA

Has knowledge in the functioning and usage 20.1% 32.7% 4.3% 32.7% 10.1%

specialized tool equipment and materials

Knowledgeable in the project management 5.8% 4.3% 10.1% 23.0% 56.8%

knowledge areas

Implores the usage of project management soft 53.2% 35.3% 10.1% 1.4% 0.0%

wares in their working and reporting

Has expert knowledge in specialized functions 17.1% 30.7% 6.3% 34.7% 11.1%

and tasks

Source: Field Survey (2023)

Based on the results presented on Table 4.3, 42.8% of the respondents agreed and strongly

agreed to the statement that has knowledge in the functioning and usage specialized tool

equipment and materials, 52.8% disagreed to this statement while 4.3% were neutral. Also,

79.8% of the respondents agreed and strongly agreed to the statement that the project manager

is knowledgeable in the project management knowledge areas, 10.1% disagreed to this

statement while 10.1% were neutral. Also, 1.4% of the respondents agreed and strongly

47
agreed to the statement that implores the usage of project management soft wares in their

working and reporting, 88.5% disagreed to this statement while 47.8% were neutral. Finally,

45.8% of the respondents agreed and strongly agreed to the statement that has expert

knowledge in specialized functions and tasks, 88.5% disagreed to this statement while 6.3%

were neutral.

4.2.4 Behavioral Competency

Table 4.4: Behavioral Competency

Indicators SD D N A SA

The project manager Shows organizational 17.3% 52.9% 4.3% 20.1% 5.4%

Commitment in Sense of pride and obligation for

project success

The project manager Invests time in developing 18.7% 18.7% 4.3% 52.9% 5.4%

others' competencies, and effort in coaching

them

The project manager Showing Job satisfaction by 4.3% 14.4% 4.3% 68.3% 8.6%

developing and growing to utilize the expertise

and get personal gains

Enthusiastic in Job involvement on identifying 2.4% 16.3% 7.4% 70.2% 9.6%

with one’s job and know team members’

strengths and weaknesses

Source: Field Survey (2023)

48
Based on the results presented on Table 4.4, 25.5% of the respondents agreed and strongly

agreed to the statement that The project manager Shows organizational Commitment in Sense

of pride and obligation for project success, 70.2% disagreed to this statement while 4.3% were

neutral. Also, 58.3% of the respondents agreed and strongly agreed to the statement that The

project manager Invests time in developing others' competencies, and effort in coaching them

37.4% disagreed to this statement while 4.3% were neutral. Also, 76.9% of the respondents

agreed and strongly agreed to the statement that The project manager Showing Job

satisfaction by developing and growing to utilize the expertise and get personal gains, 18.7%

disagreed to this statement while 4.3% were neutral. Finally, 76.9% of the respondents agreed

and strongly agreed to the statement that Enthusiastic in Job involvement on identifying with

one’s job and know team members’ strengths and weaknesses, 18.7% disagreed to this

statement while 4.3% were neutral.

4.2.5 Project Success

Table 4.5: Project Success

Indicators SD D N A SA

The project was finished on time 0.0% 20.1% 15.5% 54.3% 10.1%

The project met most of the scheduled 5.8% 19.8% 0.0% 45.7% 28.8%
milestones
The project was finished on or under budget 0.0% 4.3% 0.0% 68.3% 27.3%

The Project decreased the cost of some 10.8% 20.1% 0.0% 60.4% 8.6%
activities with no effect on quality
The Project was handed upon the company’s 10.1% 16.9% 4.3% 60.1% 8.6%
overall standards
The project deliverables always fulfil the 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 23.0% 77.0%
customer requirements
Source: Field Survey (2023)

49
Based on the results presented on Table 4.5, 64.4% of the respondents agreed and strongly

agreed to the statement that the project was finished on time, where and why, 20.1%

disagreed to this statement while 0% were neutral. Also, 74.5% of the respondents agreed and

strongly agreed to the statement that The project met most of the scheduled milestones, 25.6%

disagreed to this statement while 0% were neutral. In this light, 95.6% of the respondents

agreed and strongly agreed to the statement that the project was finished on or under budget,

4.3% disagreed to this statement while 0% were neutral.

To continue with, 69% of the respondents agreed and strongly agreed to the statement that the

Project decreased the cost of some activities with no effect on quality, 30.9% disagreed to this

statement while 0% were neutral. More, 68.7% of the respondents agreed and strongly agreed

to the statement that standards are followed to ensure good service delivery, 27% disagreed to

this statement while 4.3% were neutral. Finally, 100% of the respondents agreed and strongly

agreed to the statement that the project deliverables always fulfil the customer requirements,

0% disagreed to this statement while 0% were neutral

4.3 Presentation of Inferential Results

4.3.1 Presentation of Reliability Results

Table 4.6: Cronbach Alpha

Variables Number of Items Cronbach Value

Conceptual Competency 4 0.739
Technical Competency 4 0.818
Behavioral Competency 4 0.917

Project Success 6 0.855

Source: Author’s Computation (2023)

50
Based on the results of reliability presented on Table 4.6, it can be observed that all the values

of the alpha of Cronbach are satisfactory as predetermined as to range from 0.7 to 0.9. The

value of conceptual competency is 0.739 which is excellent, that of technical competency

which is 0.818 is good, the value of behavioral competency which is 0.917 is very good while

the value of project success is 0.855 which is very good.

4.3.2 Presentation of Model Summary

Table 4.7: Model Summary

Model Summary

Std. Error of the

Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Estimate

1 0.530a 0.378 0.490 2.67362

a. Predictors: (Constant), KC, SC, AC

Source: Field Survey (2023)

Based on Table 4.7, the value of Adjusted R-square is 0.490. This value of Adjusted R-square

illustrates the fact that only 49% changes in the dependent variable (project success) is

accounted for by the inclusive variables (conceptual competency, technical competency and

behavioral competency) while up to 51% of the changes in project success is accounted for by

the error term.

51
4.3.2 Presentation of Pairwise Correlation Results

Table 4.8: Correlation Results

Correlations

PS CC TC BC

Pearson Correlation PS 1.000 0.493 0.531 0.370

CC 0.493 1.000 0.622 0.370

TC 0.531 0.622 1.000 0.353

BC 0.370 0.370 0.353 1.000

Source: Field Survey (2023)

Based on the results presented on Table 4.8, it could be observed that the series of one (1)

forming a diagonal represent the fact that each variable perfectly correlates with itself, which

is very good. At the same time these same results also illustrate the fact that the independent

variables positively and strongly correlate with the dependent variable (technical competency

with corresponding coefficient as 0.531). These results also illustrate the presence of multi-

collinearity between variables (conceptual competency and technnical competency with a

value of 0.622) because the two independent variables positively and strongly correlate with

one another.

52
 4.3.3 Presentation of Regression Results

Table 4.9: Regression Results

Standardized

Unstandardized Coefficients Coefficients

Model B Std. Error Beta t Sig.

(Constant) 9.653 0.721 13.778 0.000

CC 0.273 0.093 0.213 3.004 0.003

TC 0.522 0.113 0.318 5.029 0.000

BC 0.281 0.082 0.139 3.296 0.001

Source: Field Survey (2023)

Based on the results of the regression presented on Table 4.9, it is noted that the coefficient of

conceptual competency is positive (0.273). This implies that an increase in conceptual

competency will lead to a corresponding increase in project success. Specifically, a one unit

increase in conceptual competency in contracting companies in Buea will lead to 0.273 units

increase in the level of project success. The results of overview are significant at 1% level of

significance because the P-value is less than 0. 01 (p < 0.01).

Also, the results of the regression presented on Table 4.9, it is noted that the coefficient of

technical competency is positive (0.522). This implies that an increase in technical

competency will lead to a corresponding increase in project success. Specifically, a one unit

increase in technical competency in contracting companies in Buea municipality will lead to a

53
0.522 unit increase in the level of project success. The results of technical competency are

significant at 1% level of significance because the P-value is less than 0. 01 (p < 0.01).

Finally, the results of the regression presented on Table 4.9 show that the coefficient of

behavioral competency is positive (0.281). This implies that an increase in behavioral

competency will lead to a corresponding increase in project success. Specifically, a one unit

increase in behavioral competency in contracting companies in Buea municipality will lead to

a 0.281units increase in the level of project success. The results of behavioral competency are

significant at 1% level of significance because the P-value is less than 0. 01 (p < 0.01).

54
 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter is divided into four main sections namely; discussion of results, summary of

major findings, conclusion and recommendations made by the researcher. Each of these

sections is clearly presented below with each having its specificities for the study.

5.1 Discussion of Results

There is a positive and significant effect of project manager’s competencies on project success

of contracting companies in the Buea Municipality (Table 4.9). Specifically, there is a

positive and significant effect of conceptual competency, technical competency and

behavioral competency on project success. The significance of the results illustrates the fact

that the respondents who were senior executives of contracting companies in Buea

municipality indicated clearly that the aspect of project manager’s competences consideration

was fully practiced at their work place. For example, the project manager makes judgments

based on reasonable assumptions, and is aware of the impact of such assumptions. Secondly,

the project manager identifies opportunities and threats, and is sensitive to stakeholder's

needs. Thirdly, the project manager communicates with their teams frequently. Finally, the

project manager Invests time in developing others' competencies, and effort in coaching them.

The results of this study are in line with the work of Cech and Chadt (2015) with study titled:

"Project Manager and his/hers Competencies" discussed that competencies of a project

manager are formed by a set of knowledge, skills, ways of behavior and attitudes and related

experience. It is a way by which a project manager asserts his/her own professional

knowledge to terminate a project successfully. The result showed that high performance

competencies enable the project managers to manage their projects efficiently.

55
Also, the results of this study are in line with Briere, et. al. (2015) study titled: “Competencies

of project managers in international NGOs: Perceptions of practitioners”, aimed at identifying

competencies of international development project managers and how these competencies are

used in projects. The study results identified 11 competencies, of which ten are related to

human aspects; adaptability, set of knowledge (general, international development,

intercultural), communication, personal qualities, interpersonal skills, leadership, ethics, local

network and knowledge, capacity building, and change management. The study also pointed

the importance of human skills and behavioral competencies in project management

In this light, Abebaw (2016) with a study titled “Assessment of the Roles and Competencies

of the Project Managers as Success Factors in Development Projects of Addis

Ababa/Ethiopia” showed Some of the project manager’s competencies demonstrate a

positively significant relationship with certain project success variables in the context of

Ethiopian development projects. Project requirement and objective, decision making in

procurement and Information and communication among the technical competencies;

leadership and communication among behavioral competencies and stakeholder analysis and

management and power and authority among contextual competencies appeared as significant

predictor of success.

Finally, Abebe (2017) with a study titled “An Assessment of Project Managers competency in

Tekeleberhan Ambaye Construction PLC” expressed that among factors contributing to

project success, one of the most important is the effectiveness of the project manager.

The investigation discussed in this paper reveals that a static list of project manager

competencies may not most effectively reflect the competencies that will be most important

for them on projects. This is particularly relevant because projects have differing

56
characteristics and are delivered in a changing business environment, and different

combinations of competencies may be most important.

5.2 Summary of Major Findings

Table 5.1: Summary Table

Objectives Findings Decisions

To assess the effect of conceptual Conceptual Competency Reject H01

competency on project success of Positively and Significantly

contracting companies in the Buea affect Project Success

Municipality.

To investigate the effect of technical Technical Competency Reject H02

competency on project success of Positively and Significantly

contracting companies in the Buea affect Project Success

Municipality.

To evaluate the effect of behavioral Behavioral Competency Reject H03

competency on project success of Positively and Significantly

contracting companies in the Buea affect Project Success

Municipality.

Source: Author (2023)

Based on the regression analyses on the effect of project manager’s competences on project

success of companies in the Buea Municipality, the dependent variable (project success) was

regressed on the independent variable (project manager’s competencies). The results of the

study showed that; conceptual competency, technical competency and behavioral competency

57
all had positive coefficients and had p-values less than the expected 0.01 level of significance

(Table 4.9). These results demonstrated the fact that project manager’s competences in terms

of conceptual competency, technical competency and behavioral competency are predictors of

project success (significant effect).

5.3 Conclusion

This study was out to examine the effect of project manager’s competences on project success

of contracting companies in the Buea Municipality. Specifically, to investigate the effect of

conceptual competency on project success of contracting companies in the Buea Municipality.

Also, this study was out to assess the effect of technical competencies on project success of

contracting companies in the Buea Municipality. Finally, to examine the effect of behavioral

competencies on project success of contracting companies in the Buea Municipality. Based on

the results, the following conclusions were drawn;

Firstly, the results of the regression on effect of conceptual competency on project success of

contracting companies in the Buea Municipality illustrated the fact that conceptual

competency has a positive and significant effect on project success of contracting companies

in the Buea Municipality.

Secondly, the results of the regression on effect of technical competency on project success of

contracting companies in the Buea Municipality. To this effect, the results illustrated the fact

that technical competency has a positive and significant effect on project success of

contracting companies in the Buea Municipality.

Finally, the results of the regression on effect of behavioral competency on project success of

contracting companies in the Buea Municipality. To this effect, the results illustrated the fact

58
behavioral competency has a positive and significant effect on project success of contracting

companies in the Buea Municipality.

5.4 Recommendations

Based on the conclusion, this study recommends the following three points;

1. The management of contracting companies in the Buea Municipality are called upon to take

actions towards improving conceptual competency of their employees as it was found to have

positive effect on project success of contracting companies in the Buea Municipality. This

implies project managers of these enterprises should be given the opportunity for further

learning through on -the- job and off -the- job learning.

2. The management of contracting companies in the Buea Municipality are called upon to

work towards improving technical competency of their employees. This is as a result of the

proven facts in the results that increase in technical competency leads to increase in project

success of contracting companies in the Buea Municipality. There should be a culture of

knowledge transfer from superior employees to those lacking. Also, the management should

give room for both apprenticeship and off- the -job training to improve the technical

competencies of their employees.

3. Finally, based on the findings and conclusions of this study, the management of companies

in the Buea Municipality are recommended to consider instituting organizational culture that

encourages good behaviors or reprimands bad behaviors by recognizing and compensating

good behaviors while punishing bad behaviors so that improvements in behavioral

competency will be achieved. This is due to the fact behavioral competency was found to

59
have a positive and significant effect on project success of contracting companies in the Buea

Municipality.

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 APPENDIX

RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE
I am Akum Oben an MBA student at the University of Buea undertaking an
Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Degree in Project Management. Kindly spare
some your time to fill the attached questionnaire for which I will be very grateful. This
research questionnaire is for the purpose of collecting information on the Effect of
Project Manager’s Competences on the Project Success of Companies in the Buea
Municiplaity.

The response from this questionnaire will be used purely for academic purposes. You need
not include your name. Any additional information that you might feel is necessary for this
study is welcome.

Section A: General Information

Please tick (√) the box that matches your answer to the questions and give the answers in the
spaces provided as appropriate.

1. Gender of respondent Female [ ] Male [ ]

2. Respondent’s age

Below 20 years [ ] 20 to 30 years [ ] 31 to 40 years [ ] 41 and Above [ ]

3. Highest level of qualification

Certificate [ ] Diploma [ ] Undergraduate [ ] Postgraduate [ ]

64
4. Number of years worked in the Organisation

Below 3 years [ ] 3 to 6 years [ ] 7 to 10 years [ ] Above 10 years[ ]

Section A: Manager’s Competences

Please tick (√) the box that matches your answer to the questions and give the answers in the
spaces provided as appropriate. The responses range from Strongly Disagree to Strongly
Agree.

Conceptual Competency

S/ Items 1 2 3 4 5
N
SD D N A SA

5 The project manager makes strategic business analysis

before deciding the courses of action

6 The project manager is sensitive to legal procedures,

implications and incorporates them in decision
making

7 The project manager has a clear vision and

imagination for the future direction of the
organization

8 The project manager is proactive in identifying

problems and quick in decision making

65
Technical Competency

S/ Items 1 2 3 4 5
N
SD D N A SA

9 Has knowledge in the functioning and usage

specialized tool equipment and materials

10 Knowledgeable in the project management knowledge

areas

11 Implores the usage of project management soft wares

in their working and reporting

12 Has expert knowledge in specialized functions and

tasks

Behavioral Competency

S/ Items 1 2 3 4 5
N
SD D N A SA

13 The project manager Shows organizational

Commitment in Sense of pride and obligation for

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14 The project manager Invests time in developing

others' competencies, and effort in coaching them

15 The project manager Showing Job satisfaction by

developing and growing to utilize the expertise and
get personal gains

16 Enthusiastic in Job involvement on identifying with

one’s

job and know team members’ strengths and

weaknesses

Section C: Project Success

Kindly indicate the level to which you approve the following assertions on Project Success

S/ Items 1 2 3 4 5
N
SD D N A SA

17 The project was finished on time

18 The project met most of the scheduled milestones

19 The project was finished on or under budget

20 The Project decreased the cost of some activities with

no effect on quality

21 The Project was handed upon the company’s overall

standards.

22 The project deliverables always fulfil the customer

requirements

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