Leadership style: Its impact on cross-functional product development

This article reports the results of a study in which cross-functional produ ct development projects in six companies were analyzed. The study was condu cted as part of an interdisciplinary research involving technological, orga nizational, and behavioral analysis. The article draws on an excerpt of the data collected on leadership styles among project managers as well as some data on organizational climate and team learning. Leadership style, especi ally the leaders' employee orientation, co-varied significantly with how me mbers of the cross-functional teams perceived their work climate and possib ilities for innovative learning. The results of the analyses point to the l eader's behavior, rather than his power, as an important factor determining the work climate in successful cross-functional product development projec ts. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.