How knowledge management impacts performance in projects: An empirical study

This paper develops theory and tests the relationships between knowledge management and various aspects of performance in IT-enabled business projects. The proposed theory posits that knowledge management is instrumental to Project Performance when mediated by a new concept, Knowledge Alignment. The research model is tested on survey data from 212 IT-enabled business projects. Findings show that project managers who achieve Knowledge Alignment among the people and the artefacts from three parts of the project – the IT team, the business change team, and the governance team – can have a significant positive impact on the achievement of business value from the project. Achieving higher levels of Knowledge Alignment is shown to have no significant negative impact on attainment of schedule and budget targets. This is the first statistical study to demonstrate the effect of knowledge management and Knowledge Alignment on the attainment of project management targets and of business value in IT-enabled projects.     

HRM in project groups: The effect of project duration on team development effectiveness

The literature has found contradictory results regarding the impact of human resource management on project success. This paper focuses on one important human resource management process – team development – to investigate its importance in the project environment. Results show that most team development practices that work well in the operational business environment do not have a significant influence on project success. However, project duration was found to moderate the relationship between team development and project success: the effectiveness of team development increases in longer projects. The paper identifies and analyzes team development practices that have a positive impact on project success exclusively in long projects.     

Managing customer relationship management projects: The case of a large French telecommunications company

Customer relationship management (CRM) implementation projects reflect a growing conceptual shift from the traditional engineering view of projects. Such projects are complex and risky because they call for both organisational and technological changes. This requires effective project management across various phases of the implementation process. However, few empirical researches have dealt with these project management issues. The aim of this research is to investigate how a “project team” manages CRM implementation projects successfully, across the different phases of the implementation process. We conducted an in-depth case study of the “Firm-Clients Branch” of a large telecommunications company in France. The findings show that, to manage CRM implementation projects successfully, an integrated and balanced approach is required. This involves appropriate system selection, effective process re-engineering and further development of organizational structures. We highlight the need for a “technochange approach” to achieve successful organisational transition and effective CRM implementation. The study reveals that the project team plays a central role throughout the implementation phases. Furthermore the effectiveness of technochange depends on project team performance, technology efficiency and close coordination with stakeholders.     

Measuring construction project participant satisfaction

Construction projects involve numerous stakeholders, and their satisfaction could directly influence the performance of subsequent projects. Driven by a desire to improve project success, the critical satisfaction factors pertinent to the construction management process should be identified. In this paper, an overall study regarding the behavioural management mechanisms amongst project participants is presented. Eleven behavioural management mechanisms are identified and 15 hypotheses are established for this study. The concepts of satisfaction, project goals, various management mechanisms and their interrelationships are discussed and investigated in relation to construction projects. The results indicate that management mechanisms rather than particular project goal could directly affect the participant satisfaction. Cooperation/participation, task/team conflict and goal commitment are the critical factors influencing the final outcome (satisfaction) in the complicated management process. Moreover, conflict on the task amongst the participants is the moderation mechanisms for the relationship between goal commitment and participant satisfaction. There is a significantly positive relationship between commitment and satisfaction in construction project management, while high level of conflict is stimulated in the goal setting process amongst the participants.     

Current condition and future directions for lean construction in highways projects: A small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) perspective

The aim of this study is to identify the parameters defining how Lean Construction (LC) is being implemented (current condition) and how LC can be further promoted (future direction) from a Small-Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) perspective. Although SMEs constitute the largest group in construction supply chains, LC, as an emerging phenomenon in civil construction project management, has been rarely investigated from an SMEs perspective. Also, overlooking the more macro factors like project governance and supply chain management, LC deployments have been mainly discussed from a production process perspective to date. After a review of the extant literature and 20 interviews with managers from the highways sector, a list of 31 current condition and 40 future direction statements were produced, classified under the delivery, process, training, project governance and supply chain related headings and used in a questionnaire survey with 110 responses. The current condition highlights problems like a short-term relations structure, competitive tendering mechanisms, fragmentation, problems in engaging with SMEs for LC, unstandardised LC techniques, and issues with convincing SMEs to deploy LC by demonstrating the business case on mutual benefits. Action items relating to the current project delivery structure were given the highest importance by the supply chain, alongside the LC training and project governance issues for the future of LC at highways SMEs. Additionally, a statistically significant correlation was identified among many future action items.     

Relationships between project governance and information technology governance and their impact on project performance

This research endeavors to address the question of how to enhance project performance through exploring the relationships among information technology (IT) governance, project governance and project performance. The research utilizes an empirical survey methodology. The survey of 533 working professionals in various industries renders 282 usable responses or a response rate of 53.91%. The results suggest that both IT governance and project governance have a positive impact on project performance. Moreover, we found that three dimensions of IT governance (i.e., strategy setting, value delivery, and performance management) are positively associated with project performance while all three dimensions of project governance (i.e., portfolio direction, project sponsorship as well as project effectiveness & efficiency, and disclosure & reporting) are positively associated with project performance. Additionally, the alignment between IT governance and project governance is also found to be positively associated with project performance. These findings provide evidence to project management professionals in regard to IT governance and project governance being part of the operational strategy in facilitating the success of projects. It also demonstrates the importance of the alignment strategy between IT governance and project governance in enhancing project performance.     

Barriers towards integrated product development — Challenges from a holistic project management perspective

The basis for product development in many large industrial companies is a traditional project management method positing non-overlapping phases, independent activities, and a dedicated project team. Research findings indicate that the use of integrated product development methods increases performance compared to traditional methods in contexts of complex problem solving, which are disruptive and non-linear. Even though integrated product development has been the focus of a large number of research studies, these studies mostly focus on identifying success criteria and improving performance, while the requirements for implementing integrated product development remain under-researched. This study takes a more holistic project management perspective and identifies both the challenges and the requirements of successful implementation through an in-depth case study. It was found in a chosen case company that successful implementation requires awareness and skills of integrated product development in senior management, as well as a set of cross-organizational project governance structures.     

The association among project manager's leadership style, teamwork and project success

This study aims to examine whether the impact of teamwork on project performance was moderated by the following data class variables: industry sector, total installed cost, owner regulation, initial site, team size, complexity, project type, and international involvement. Additionally, this study also investigated the relationships among the project manager's leadership style, teamwork, and project success. To address the primary aims, a questionnaire-based survey was used to measure the project manager's leadership style, teamwork, and project success in terms of schedule performance, cost performance, quality performance, and stakeholder satisfaction. The analyses suggest that increases in levels of leadership may enhance relationships among team members. The results also indicate that teamwork exhibits statistically significant influence on project performance. Finally, the findings suggest that project type has a moderating effect on the relationship between teamwork dimensions and overall project success.     

Governing the project process: a conceptual framework

There has been considerable development in a process approach in construction management research in recent years. However, such work begs the question of how those processes are governed. Processes, be they flows of information or materials, need to be channelled in the desired direction as they are handed from team to team. This paper aims to present a conceptual framework for understanding the governance of construction project processes, drawing on transaction cost economics. Earlier attempts to apply this theoretical framework in construction management research have been partial, in that they have focused on only one type of transaction, typically that between client and principal contractor. This paper aims to be comprehensive in covering all the different transactions throughout the project lifecycle within one conceptual framework, and thereby it is hoped that more incisive empirical research can be developed and executed.     

Multi-level project governance: Trends and opportunities

Project governance is important in ensuring successful project delivery. In this article we conduct a systematic investigation of previous research to provide a content-driven review of the literature, and to provide future research direction. We use the textual data mining software Leximancer to identify dominant concepts and themes underlying project governance research. Our findings indicate that agency and stakeholder theories have been adapted to the project governance context to a greater extent than other theories. Furthermore, we find differences in project governance research, published in project management journals compared to general management, IT and engineering journals. We conclude the paper by presenting a framework that links governance theories to the multiple organizational levels relevant to project governance.     

Project and program diagnostics: A systemic approach

This paper focuses on the theory and application of diagnostic concepts to assess the health of large projects or programs at any point in their life relative to the desired targets. The author presents a comprehensive project health check methodology. Project diagnostics is not to be confused with project progress measurement and control or project management maturity models as the objective is to see if the project team applies a systemic approach to the planning and management of the project. Its purpose is not to assess the project progress achieved at a given time and compare that to plans. Nor does it aim to assess the maturity of the application of a particular project management methodology/standard. The health of a project/program at a given time is found by evaluating the actual practices applied to manage a raft of variables which collectively characterise the management practice on that project.The technique – referred to as project health check or ‘PH-Check’ – has been computerised for ease of application. It provides a graphical picture of the heath of a project at the time of assessment. The results of the project health check can then be correlated with the results obtained from traditional project progress measurement tools. This correlation will yield greater understanding of the management of the enabling factors and their influence on project behaviour and results. This paper presents the PH-Check methodology and its underpinning concepts.     

Exploring the roles of portfolio steering committees in project portfolio governance

Governing project portfolios engages different actors in organizations including portfolio managers, portfolio officers, top managers, and others who may team up as portfolio steering committees. While portfolio steering committees play a regular role in project portfolio governance, their role is still unclear. Through an in-depth multiple case study in three Danish companies, the roles of portfolio steering committees were explored. The results showed that portfolio committees may play three distinct roles in portfolio governance: a) communication and consolidation role, b) negotiation role, and c) decision making role. The results challenged the notion that portfolio committee meetings are the place and time to make collective decisions on the portfolio, rather, portfolio steering committees might unintentionally become or intentionally be used for other purposes than decision making. The empirical evidence of the study proposes that these three roles might be related to two governance design factors: frequency and duration of committee meetings.     

Project governance interface and owner organizational identity: The Venice Biennale case

There is a considerable body of work on managing the governance interface in project organizing, yet there has been little consideration of how the organizational identity of the project owner might shape the design of that interface. This is important because organizational identity is known to shape various aspects of project organizing, such as how an organization is perceived by team members, so we might expect it also influence the performance of projects. We explore this question through a case study of how the Venice Biennale owner organization governs one of its temporary project events – the 2019 Venice International Film Festival. Through our empirical fieldwork, based on multiple data sources including a participant ethnography of the 76th Venice International Film Festival and semi-structured interviews, we found that the organizational identity of the project owner organization influences choices made for the governance of a delivery project. The study contributes to theory on project organizing by highlighting the importance of owner organizational identity for the design of the governance interface in project organizing and identifying the importance of an interpersonal approach to governance interface design for an owner organization with an identify of innovation and experimentation on its delivery projects.     

Interplay of relational and contractual governance in public-private partnerships: The mediating role of relational norms,trust and partners' contribution

Defining the nature of the relationship between contractual and relational governance is critical for understanding how to maintain commitment and coordination between private and public organizations in long-term partnerships. In this study, a theoretical model explains Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project performance as the result of a mediation process. Contractual and relational governance elements operate sequentially with relational elements (relational norms and trust), playing a mediating role between contractual elements, project actors' behaviour and final performance. Based on the analysis of a survey of PPP practitioners in The Netherlands, and using Consistent Partial Least Squares Modeling, the study provides empirical support for these mediating effects. The findings are aligned with the idea that both economic incentives and hierarchical relationships formalized in contract agreements require being internalized in working practices by means of informal and socially based mechanisms. The enabling and compensating mechanisms underlying the mediation role of relational governance elements are discussed. Managers can particularly find in relational norms a leverage point for designing collaborative day-to-day practices aimed at reinforcing trust and long-term contractual obligations.     

Turner's five-functions of project-based management and situational leadership in IT services projects

This paper reports on the research conducted in one of the divisions of Europe's largest IT consultancy. This study aims to investigate (1) the critical elements of managing IT services projects by using Turner's (Handbook of project–based management, 2nd ed, England, McGraw–Hill Publishing, 1999) five-functions model to examine the relationships between project definition and scope, project organisation and the triangle of critical project outcomes and (2) if the project leader's orientation is related to his situational perception of project control. Although the survey has found only partial support for the proposed relationships, it has also identified the importance of personal attributes and contingent experiences on the leader's perception of project success. More significantly, the evidence that time and quality, rather than time and cost, are the two most critical project objectives reflects the industry shift of concern from being contractors to solution-partners.     

Mobile social media in inter-organizational projects: Aligning tool,task and team for virtual collaboration effectiveness

Inter-organizational projects face unique challenges and opportunities due to team diversities and task complexity. Mobile social media like WhatsApp and WeChat emerge as new-generation collaboration tools in such endeavors. Based on a literature review, this study posits that how well team-tool, task-tool and team-task relationships are handled shape virtual collaboration effectiveness. The conceptual framework, validated with the interviews from inter-organizational project team members in China and the USA, leads to a research model. The results of a larger-scale survey confirm that tool usability, task fit and team connectivity contribute to virtual collaboration effectiveness, which affects project management success and team appreciation. In addition, there are noticeable cross-country differences, especially the opposite moderating effects that degree of use imposes on the relationship between virtual collaboration effectiveness and project management success. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Why projects fail? How contingency theory can provide new insights – A comparative analysis of NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter loss

When important projects fail, the investigation is often focused on the engineering and technical reasons for the failure. That was the case in NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter (MCO) that was lost in space after completing its nine-month journey to Mars. Yet, in many cases the root cause of the failure is not technical, but managerial. Often the problem is rooted in management’s failure to select the right approach to the specific project. The objective of this paper is to enrich our understanding of project failure due to managerial reasons by utilizing different contingency theory frameworks for a retrospective look at unsuccessful projects and perhaps more important, potential prevention of future failures. The evolving field of project management contingency theory provides an opportunity at this time to re-examine the concept of fit between project characteristics and project management, and offer deeper insights on why projects fail. After outlining several existing contingency studies, we use three distinct frameworks for analyzing the MCO project. These frameworks include Henderson and Clark’s categorization of change and innovation, Shenhar and Dvir’s NTCP diamond framework, and Pich, Loch, and De Meyer’s strategies for managing uncertainty. While each framework provides a different perspective, collectively, they demonstrate that in the MCO program, the choices made by managers, or more accurately, the constraints imposed on them under the policy of ‘better, faster, cheaper’, led the program to its inevitable failure. This paper shows that project management contingency theory can indeed provide new insights for a deeper understanding of project failure. Furthermore, it suggests implications for a richer upfront analysis of a project’s unique characteristics of uncertainty and risk, as well as additional directions of research. Such research may help establish new and different conceptions on project success and failure beyond the traditional success factors, and subsequently develop more refined contingency frameworks. The results of such research may enable future project managers to rely less on heuristics and possibly lead to a new application of “project management design.”     

Organizational enablers for governance and governmentality of projects: A literature review

This study identifies the organizational enablers for governance in the realm of projects. We first conceptualize organizational enablers as comprising of process facilitators and discursive abilities, each with its own factors and mechanisms. Then we apply this concept to the literature on project governance, governance of projects and governmentality. Outcomes indicate that governance is enabled through different forms of flexibility at different levels of governance, institutional setup and authority at the project level, flexible structures and mindsets of people at the organizational level, and through development of self-responsible, self-organizing people for governmentality in project settings. Questions for future research are indicated.