Investigating the nexus between critical success factors, despotic leadership, and success of renewable energy projects

The aim of this study to examine how critical success factors (CSFs) affect the project success (PS), directly and indirectly, using the despotic leadership (DL) as a mediating variable. Critical success factors with multiple dimensions, such as organizational factors, team factors, technical factors, and communication factors, were used in this study. In this study, we used a questionnaire survey approach. The data were collected from the project directors, project managers, functional managers, and team leaders working in the renewable energy project of Pakistan. For data analysis, we used the partial least squares structural equation modeling through SmartPLS 3.2. The outcomes indicate that team factors and communication factors have a positive and significant relationship with PS in the direct relationship. At the same time, organization factors and technical factors were insignificant in the direct relationship with PS. Moreover, to examine the mediating effects of despotic leadership, we have examined the indirect effects of critical success factors on PS. The findings of this study indicate that DL is not mediated between organizational factors and PS in the indirect relationship. However, DL negatively mediates between three factors (team, technical, and communication) of critical success factors on project success. This paper concludes that despotic leaders go beyond controlling and self-serving behaviour and are engaged in exploitative and unethical acts that can drain project resources, which reduce the success and sustainability of renewable energy projects.