Assessing the role of leadership style and budget allocation in cybersecurity project success in the healthcare sector: The mediating effect of risk mitigation strategies

This study explores the impact of leadership style and budget allocation on the success of cybersecurity projects, with a particular emphasis on the mediating role of risk mitigation strategies within the healthcare sector. A total of 406 valid responses were obtained from IT professionals, cybersecurity officers, and project managers across healthcare institutions using a structured online questionnaire. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS was employed to analyze the data and test the proposed hypotheses. The results revealed that both leadership style and budget allocation exert significant positive effects on cybersecurity project success. Moreover, risk mitigation strategies were found to mediate the relationships between the independent variables and project success, underscoring their critical role in translating managerial and financial support into effective cybersecurity outcomes. All hypotheses were supported. The findings offer key theoretical contributions to cybersecurity and project management literature and present actionable insights for healthcare administrators seeking to strengthen their cybersecurity posture through strategic leadership and efficient resource allocation.