Management styles in a project environment: evidence from software industry in Oman

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the management styles adopted by project managers in the software industry in Oman. Design/methodology/approach: A sample of 208 project management professionals is drawn from the Omani software industry. Data analysis is based on factor analysis and analysis of variance techniques. Findings: The results suggest that project managers in the Omani software industry mainly adopt three management styles: people oriented, task oriented and organization oriented. Furthermore, the management styles of project managers are affected by their experience and age, and the organizational structure. Originality/value: The paper contributes to the literature by examining management styles adopted by managers in a temporary organization environment from an under-researched context, Oman.