An Empirical Study of the Effect of Leadership Style on Project Performance in Open Innovation Communities from the Perspective of Online Collaboration

Analyzing factors impacting project performance is crucial for open innovation success, with a particular focus on the relatively unexplored influence of leadership in online collaboration. This research empirically investigates the effects of technical and social leadership styles on project performance within the Gitee open innovation community, utilizing a zero-inflated negative binomial regression model for open-source projects analysis. It classifies leadership styles according to leadership behavior theory and examines the moderating role of team size using situational leadership theory. The findings indicate that in the technical aspect, such as project leaders' expertise, technical processing efficiency, and problem-solving skill, positively affect project success, while a variety of technical interests can be detrimental. As for the social aspect, including affiliations with professional groups, community reputation, quality of social interactions, and team cohesion, positively contribute to project outcomes, although centrality in social networks does not. The research also underscores team size as a significant moderator of leadership effectiveness, emphasizing the need to consider both leadership styles and team size in managing open innovation projects. This study offers valuable insights into project management and leadership strategies tailored for project development through online collaboration in open innovation community.