Communication and People Management Skills for Project Success: Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction

Abstract

This study explores how communication and people management competencies among project managers contribute to project success, with a particular focus on the mediating effect of job satisfaction. While existing literature has often listed extensive soft skill requirements for project managers, there remains limited empirical clarity on which skills directly influence project outcomes. Using a quantitative approach, survey data were collected from 219 project management professionals in Malaysia’s Information Technology sector. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to test seven hypotheses. Results show that communication skills have a strong positive relationship with job satisfaction, which in turn significantly influences project success. People management skills were also found to have a direct impact on project outcomes, although their link to job satisfaction was not statistically significant. Moreover, job satisfaction serves as a mediator between communication skills and project success but does not mediate the link between people management skills and project success. These findings underscore the nuanced role of soft skills in project delivery, suggesting that fostering job satisfaction through effective communication may be key to enhancing project performance. The generalisability of the results may be constrained by the industry and geographic scope, offering opportunities for broader future studies.