Identifying,framing and managing uncertainties in project portfolios

Uncertainties in the organization, external environment and from single projects may hamper project portfolio performance unless managed properly. This paper introduces a framework on uncertainties and their management in project portfolios and pursues increased understanding on how managers can take uncertainty into account better. We explore uncertainties, how managers frame them as opportunities or threats, and the actual practice of managing them across ten R&D project portfolios. The framework on project portfolio uncertainties and their management is further refined based on the empirical results. As key contributions, we show evidence on the balanced existence of three types of uncertainties, the threat bias in their framing, and the dominance of rational, opportunity driven mechanisms of control in uncertainty management. We discuss the context-dependent practice of project portfolio management and the need to complement rational mechanisms with structural and cultural, for project portfolio management to become a dynamic capability.     

The process of social alignment and misalignment within a complex IT project

Project management is more efficient and effective when project stakeholders are socially aligned on what the project objectives are and how they should be achieved. This outcome occurs because social alignment reduces the friction amongst stakeholders each time a project management decision is made. Yet, how social alignment develops or dissolves over time in a complex project is unknown. This research develops a dynamic model of social alignment and misalignment, and it identifies some of the project controls that appear to affect their development. Drawing on interview and observational data from 17 respondents involved in a complex health-IT project over a two-year period, we show that social alignment and misalignment involve eight stages – separation, disrespect, lack of cross-discipline participation and social misalignment through to learning, respect, cross-discipline participation and ultimately, social alignment. The research has implications for how researchers theorize social alignment in complex projects and how practitioners can facilitate its development.     

Systems thinking in innovation project management: A match that works

This paper discusses why conventional project management practices lead to the failure of publicly funded innovation deployment projects, and investigates how the use of systems thinking in project management can help projects be more successful. Based on 12 case studies of two EU innovation policies, we provide evidence that by using systemic project management, which entails providing flexibility in planning, communicating and controlling activities, innovation projects are more successful. This research refutes previous theory that claims that we should formalize to manage complexity and uncertainty. The key finding is that systems thinking methods provide the flexibility to manage innovativeness, complexity and uncertainty in innovation projects more successfully. Suggestions for further research include suggestions of how to embed flexibility in project management methods using the constructs of equifinality and causal embeddedness.     

Success conditions for international development capacity building projects

Current research on success factors fails to adequately explain why development projects will achieve success in one setting yet not in others, thus making improvements to project management practice difficult. By examining the underlying conditions enabling project success, we provide additional context and practical meaning for success factors. Through a case-study and a qualitative analysis of twenty interviews with project practitioners, we look into four capacity building projects in Ghana, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam and draw out structural, institutional, and managerial success conditions, whether they are initial or emergent. We further propose a hypothesis that high levels of multi-stakeholder commitment, collaboration, alignment, and adaptation are necessary for projects to succeed. Thus, we put the ability of projects to deliver development into context and call on practitioners to harness their ability to trigger development through a better understanding of enabling success conditions or the right circumstances under which projects thrive.     

Applying systems engineering in the civil engineering industry: an analysis of systems engineering projects of a Dutch water board

The past decade, practice and literature have shown an increasing interest in Systems Engineering (SE) in the civil engineering industry. The aim of this study is to analyse to what extent SE is applied in six civil engineering SE projects of a Dutch water board. The projects were analysed using a framework that was developed from existing SE literature. The projects that scored highest on the application of SE were those where the project leader was highly motivated to apply SE, where top management support for SE was arranged, and where an experienced engineering consulting firm was involved. The lowest scoring project was a routine project in which project team members considered the use of SE unnecessary. To improve SE implementation and execution in organisations, it is recommended to arrange top management support for SE, to enhance the SE skills of employees, and to establish clear SE standards and procedures.     

关于安全专项施工方案的管理思考

本文主要根据国家相关管理办法,结合民用建筑和核电项目的特点,对核电项目的安全专项施工方案的管理提出了一些自己看法和思路,以期为国内现阶段核电工程项目的专项施工方案管理提供一定的借鉴。     

Toward a model of socializing project team members: An integrative approach

Project work is becoming more and more important in everyday business, as is staffing the right newcomers for the project. Recognizing that not all new project team workers possess equally important specific knowledge, skills and abilities for the success of projects, we draw on project management, human resource management, and organizational socialization literature to develop a framework on how new project team members might be socialized, depending on their strategic value for the project. We specifically draw on the socialization tactics literature and propose how four categories of new employees – Internal specialists, External specialists, External generalists and Internal generalists; based on two dimensions – work task complexity and employment mode, can be socialized more effectively. Implications for theory and practice are discussed as well.     

Extending project management research: Insights from social theories

Our article answers the call for renewing the theoretical bases of project management in order to overcome the problems that stem from the application of methods based on decision-rationality norms, which bracket the complexity of action and interactions in projects. By grounding our reflection in the practice perspective and by adopting Nicolini's (2013) toolkit approach, we suggest ways that could help practitioners and theorists make better sense of aspects that are highly relevant for project management but are usually overlooked. The paper discusses Nicolini's five dimensions of practice and three social theories (activity theory, actor–network theory and structuration theory) to highlight the combinations that are most appropriate and fruitful for addressing various theoretical and practical issues requiring the attention of project management researchers.     

Fundamental uncertainties in projects and the scope of project management

This paper builds on discussions that took place over a series of meetings in the UK of the Rethinking Project Management Network. The management of uncertainty is seen as a necessary condition for effective project management. Sources of uncertainty are wide ranging and have a fundamental effect on projects and project management. These sources are not confined to potential events, and include lack of information, ambiguity, characteristics of project parties, tradeoffs between trust and control mechanisms, and varying agendas in different stages of the project life cycle. Common project management practice does not address many fundamental sources of uncertainty, particularly in ‘soft’ projects where flexibility and tolerance of vagueness are necessary. More sophisticated efforts to recognise and manage important sources of uncertainty are needed. Such efforts need to encompass organisational capabilities, including some aspects of organisation culture and learning.     

Ambidextrous strategy and execution in entrepreneurial project-oriented organizations: The case of Pagani supercars

This research explores the dynamics underpinning entrepreneurial project-oriented organizations. Specifically, it focuses on how strategy and execution by projects are managed and how ambidexterity – a firm's ability to exploit old certainties while exploring new possibilities – operates as a logic. The empirical findings from an explorative longitudinal research of supercar maker Pagani Automobili in the period 2007–2019, offer an insight of a complex entrepreneurially led project-oriented organization and suggest three integrative mechanisms that describe the ambidextrous management of the interplay within and between strategy and project levels. Additionally, this research recognizes the critical role of projects also in entrepreneurial environments and suggests that the accomplishment of ambidexterity is unique in nature as it is aimed at reconciling the uniqueness of competitive propositions and that of projects within a unique entrepreneurial environment, opening avenues for more theoretical and empirical studies at the intersection of project management and entrepreneurship.     

Using nudges to realize project performance management

Organizations face continual challenges in identifying, analyzing, controlling, and evaluating their performance. These challenges are frequently addressed through control systems or plans, but rarely through the behavioral changes needed to achieve project performance. We examine how the behavioral concept of nudges can be used in projects to address the ‘iron triangle’ of time, cost, and quality measures. Utilizing semi-structured interviews with project professionals working for multinational organizations to deliver large-scale projects across a range of sectors, we combine insights from nudge theory and project performance management to explore typical settings in which particular nudges drive time, cost, and quality performance. We unpacked 21 relevant nudge tools, and show the direct and indirect impacts of these on three key measures of project performance – time, cost, and quality. We also position a future agenda of research and practice considering the application of nudges on project performance.     

Temporal boundary objects in megaprojects: Mapping the system with the Integrated Master Schedule

Recently, a stream of project management research has recognized the critical role of boundary objects in the organization of projects. In this paper, we investigate how one advanced scheduling tool, the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS), is used as a temporal boundary object at various stages of complex projects. The IMS is critical to megaprojects which typically span long periods of time and face a high degree of complexity and uncertainty. In this paper, we conceptualize projects of this type as complex adaptive systems (CAS). We report the findings of four case projects on how the IMS mapped interactions, interdependencies, constraints, and fractal patterns of these emerging projects, and how the process of IMS visualization enabled communication and negotiation of project realities. This paper highlights that this advanced timeline tool acts as a boundary object and elicits shared understanding of complex projects from their stakeholders.     

谈工民建施项目安全管理存在的问题及对策

依据实际情况,以工民建建筑施工项目为研究对象,从现阶段工民建施项目安全管理存在的问题以及工民建施项目安全管理对策这两个方面入手,围绕工民建施项目安全管理这一中心问题展开了较为详细的分析与阐述,并据此论证了安全管理工作在进一步提高工民建施项目工作质量与工作效率的过程中所起到的至关重要的作用与意义。     

Human resource management and project based organizing: Fertile ground,missed opportunities and prospects for closer connections

We explore publishing trends regarding HRM and PBO in the main journals in the field of project management to highlight key empirical and theoretical contributions during the period 1996–2016. We offer three contributions to the field of project management. The first is theoretical where we analyze twenty years of research in key project management journals by adapting and extending the framework of Wright and Boswell (2002), and identifying categories of HRM research at three levels of analysis. This analysis provides an overview integrating exemplary research to date on the HRM-PBO link at different levels, showing areas where research is well-developed and also areas that, while promising, have not been examined in a systematic manner to date.Our second contribution is that we highlight a variety of theoretical as well as methodological resources from the HRM field that can be applied in project studies and in so doing promote cross-fertilization of ideas and approaches between these two fields.Finally, a key managerial contribution is that we introduce the project as a temporary organization level of analysis, explicitly making visible HRM practices on the project. This can guide both HRM practitioners, and project managers, in terms of the importance of projects as sites for human resource management and employment activities including careers, employee participation and employment relations all of which are critical issues and deserve more attention.     

Resilience and creative problem-solving capacities in project teams: A relational view

Teams often struggle with their assigned projects and evidence indicates relatively limited project success. Recent research advanced a behavioral perspective to the study of the variance in project performance. We seek to advance this literature by developing and testing a dual-pathway model of project performance. Specifically, we expand on relational coordination theory to suggest that teams can enhance their project performance through two knowledge creation mechanisms – access to knowledge and experiential learning – which underpin resilience and creative problem solving. Results of time-lagged data from project teams indicate that high quality relationships between team members facilitate both experiential learning and access to knowledge, which in turn are positively related to team resilience. Team resilience, in turn, is indirectly related to project performance, through creative problem solving. We advance the extant literature of project management by enhancing our understanding of how relationally coordinated project teams develop capabilities – resilience and creative problem solving – and improve their project performance.     

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.     

In search of 'project chemistry'

The paper aims to provide a language and a conceptual toolkit to deepen our understanding of the impact of relational and social issues on the success of construction projects. Building on several streams of literature, as well as on individual and group interviews with construction practitioners, the paper develops the notion of ‘project chemistry’ as a way of capturing some of the relational and behavioural dimensions and factors that may affect project success and effectiveness in construction. The paper introduces a provisional theoretical framework that (a) identifies a number of external and project level determinants of ‘project chemistry’, (b) suggests ways of measuring how and how well people interact, perceive, and work together in a project, and (c) relates these issues to broader economic and technical factors. The paper concludes with some reflections on the implications and challenges for future research and management practices raised by the notion of ‘project chemistry’.     

Stakeholder impact analysis of infrastructure project management in developing countries: a study of perception of project managers in state‐owned engineering firms in Vietnam

Construction projects can involve a diverse range of stakeholders and the success of the project depends very much on fulfilling their needs and expectations. It is important, therefore, to identify and recognize project stakeholders and develop a rigorous stakeholder management process. However, limited research has investigated the impact of stakeholders on construction projects in developing countries. A stakeholder impact analysis (SIA), based on an approach developed by Olander (2007), was adopted to investigate the stakeholders’ impact on state‐owned civil engineering projects in Vietnam. This involved the analysis of a questionnaire survey of 57 project managers to determine the relative importance of different stakeholders. The results show the client to have the highest level of impact on the projects, followed by project managers and the senior management of state‐owned engineering firms. The SIA also provides suggestions to project managers in developing and evaluating the stakeholder management process.     

浅谈土木工程的造价控制

随着我国经济的不断发展,土木工程建设单位的竞争日益激烈。土木工程的造价控制是对土木工程项目建设的资金投入和资源投入的过程所进行的调节和控制,按照特殊的计价程序,在投资决策阶段、设计阶段和项目施工阶段,把土木工程造价的发生控制在批准的造价限额之内。本文以土木工程的工程造价控制为主要内容,对土木工程项目各阶段的内容和措施进...     

Planning for uncertainty: use of structural equation modelling to determine the causal structure of time buffer allocation

Construction personnel at every level of management are constantly planning and trying to figure out how to best deal with the uncertainty and variability of construction projects. The allocation of a time buffer in task planning is one method used to absorb variation caused by the inherent complexity and uncertainty present in construction. The research objective is to identify the causal structure used in planning for uncertainty and allocating a time buffer to construction project tasks. A time buffer questionnaire was developed and distributed to 175 companies across 37 states in the US. A structural equation modelling approach was used to develop mental models for field management personnel and upper management personnel based on both the frequency and severity response data collected. A total of 63 completed surveys from construction field managers were collected to validate the models. Contributions to the body of knowledge include (1) the development of causal structures for decision support through identification of risk areas, and the prioritization, prevention, and mitigation of those risks; and (2) the comparison of the field management models with the upper management models to identify both the shared key causes of buffer allocation and the differences in planning priorities. The contribution to practice is that the findings will help construction managers understand what drives the need for buffers in their construction schedules and allow them to focus efforts on strategically addressing the most critical areas of concern and uncertainty. Furthermore, the execution of a model survey serves to strengthen the findings of the data analysis and improve the overall models from a practical standpoint.