Ayodeji E. Oke, Seyi S. Stephen and Clinton O. Aigbavboa
Jonghyuk Cha, Mike Newman and Graham Winch
This paper highlights that extant project management (PM) bodies of knowledge have not fully addressed organisational transformation enabled by information systems projects. The…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper highlights that extant project management (PM) bodies of knowledge have not fully addressed organisational transformation enabled by information systems projects. The purpose of this paper is to examine the transformation context in the PM disciplines. The authors argue that the execution-oriented PM bodies of knowledge are limited, as they place too much emphasis on the delivery outputs by the supplier rather than the achievement of beneficial outcomes by the project owner.
Design/methodology/approach
As a conceptual paper, this paper reviews extant PM bodies of knowledge, life cycle models, the context of organisational transformation and benefits realisation, and the distinction between a project owner’s and the project supplier’s capabilities.
Findings
A new PM knowledge framework is provided as an advanced research frame for future works by enhancing Peter Morris’ Management of Projects framework by employing the conceptual lens of Winch’s Three Domains of Project Organising model.
Originality/value
The advanced model emphasises the necessity of distinguishing a project owner’s and a supplier’s PM capability and knowledge to achieve successful IS-enabled organisational transformation. Through this effort to resolve the fragmentation and specialisation problems in PM disciplines, the model can be used as a theoretical groundwork for the advancement of PM research.
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Ofer Zwikael and Jack R. Meredith
The purpose of this paper is to resolve a core issue in project management research and practice – inconsistent terminology of key project roles. This inconsistency has negative…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to resolve a core issue in project management research and practice – inconsistent terminology of key project roles. This inconsistency has negative consequences on the quality and impact of research in this area.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted an analysis of the literature and project management standards to identify both agreed-upon and inconsistent project role terms. Based on role and agency theories, the authors propose a consistent terminology.
Findings
The authors found consensus regarding four terms: project manager, project team, project management office, and program manager. However, the authors also found conflicting definitions and misuse concerning other terms, as well as use of the same title for different roles (e.g. customer, sponsor, champion). The authors define the ten core project roles and the two project entities with which they are associated.
Originality/value
The proposed role definitions and clear distinction between the two project entities offer clarity, reliance on existing consensus, avoidance of conflicts of interest, and clear separation of principal and agent roles. The implementation of these definitions will improve communications and enhance quality within and between both the research and the practice communities.
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Farhad Eizakshiri, Paul W. Chan and Margaret W. Emsley
In this paper, the dominant techno-rational view of studying delays in projects is challenged. In so doing, the purpose of this paper is to urge for more attention paid to…
Abstract
Purpose
In this paper, the dominant techno-rational view of studying delays in projects is challenged. In so doing, the purpose of this paper is to urge for more attention paid to studying the intentionalities of the planners involved in planning the schedule for projects.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the authors take a critical approach to review a range of literatures related to the concept of project delays. Through this review, the authors render the relative absence of acknowledging intentionality in the study of delays problematic. Therefore, the authors inject fresh insights into how intentionality can play a crucial role in advancing the understanding of project delays.
Findings
Prevailing research tends to assume the primacy of the project plan and conceptualise delays as a consequence of flawed execution. The review offers three possibilities for reconceptualising delays as a consequence of flawed plans. In so doing, the authors refocus the attention on how intentionality could play a crucial role in shaping “inaccurate” plans, which in turn could lead to the creation of delays.
Research limitations/implications
As a consequence of this review paper, the authors invite scholarship into project delays to move away from finding “cause-and-effect” mechanisms to attend more closely to the role intentionality plays in creating delays, whether intended, unintended, or imagined.
Originality/value
This paper brings intentionality to the fore to challenge the assumptions over the nature of delays. In so doing, the review expands the understanding of project delays by incorporating unintended, intended, and imaginary perspectives.
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Abstract
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The purpose of this paper is to review the content and contributions of the book by Morris and Hough entitled The Anatomy of Major Projects: A Study of the Reality of Project…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the content and contributions of the book by Morris and Hough entitled The Anatomy of Major Projects: A Study of the Reality of Project Management. The paper explores the major findings and contributions in the book and by so doing, highlights opportunities for future research and links the findings to emerging areas of interest.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents the main ideas in the book along with a number of important issues to project management theory and the management of large projects, including success, success factors, and the use of case studies to capture the actuality of project work.
Findings
The paper demonstrates that Morris and Hough addressed many of the concerns related to major projects and uncovered the implications of researching the success of projects, offering new insights and understanding related to the dynamics of projects and the temporal nature of success (and failure).
Practical implications
The primary implication is to demonstrate the value of revisiting the classic contributions in project management and re‐reading the findings and conclusions.
Originality/value
The author is especially interested in the ideas presented in the book that relate to success and to major projects, as well as with researching the actuality of projects through case studies. Many of the findings and insights remain relevant and would inform today's debates. Previous research has given limited attention to the insights presented in this book published 25 years ago.
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Joana Geraldi and Jonas Söderlund
In 2006, the “Rethinking Project Management” network called for a paradigm shift in project research, and proposed five research directions. The directions inspired research and…
Abstract
Purpose
In 2006, the “Rethinking Project Management” network called for a paradigm shift in project research, and proposed five research directions. The directions inspired research and marked a milestone in the development of the field. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the past decade and to rejuvenate these research directions.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors propose the umbrella term: “project studies” to denote the research related to projects and temporary organizing. Project studies is conceived not only as a body of research, but also as a social process embedded in research communities, and contemporary Zeitgeist. Based on Sandberg’s interpretative approach to the fit between work and works (in this case research-researcher) and Habermas’ three types of human interests: technical, practical, and emancipatory, the authors develop a conceptual framework circumscribing three types of research in project studies.
Findings
The conceptual framework is used to craft future research directions, in the lines proposed by Winter et al. (2006b).
Research limitations/implications
The authors conclude by proposing for a sixth theme on the practice of theorizing, and call for engaged, ambidextrous scholars, who’s “job” goes beyond the writing of articles and research applications, and includes shaping discourses of project research, nurturing new project scholars, contributing to project practice and carefully considering the legacy of projects and project studies in society.
Originality/value
This paper positions research as a social process, and the role of researchers as actors shaping research in project studies.
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International comparisons of contractor performance allow contractors in different countries to distinguish their own strengths and weaknesses and improve their competitiveness…
Abstract
International comparisons of contractor performance allow contractors in different countries to distinguish their own strengths and weaknesses and improve their competitiveness accordingly. Based on a survey of contractors in Japan, the UK and the US, contractor time performance is evaluated and compared. It is found that Japanese contractors achieve shorter construction times and higher levels of time certainty than their UK and US counterparts. Furthermore, anticipated delays are far shorter in Japan and levels of client satisfaction are significantly higher than in the US and UK. The superior performance of Japanese contractors may be attributed to their working practices which were characterized by the use of a larger workforce on site, detailed planning, close working relationships with their subcontractors, and an overriding focus on time certainty.
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ANTHONY WALKER and CHAU KWONG WING
The process of managing the design and construction of a project on behalf of a client may be analysed using project management theory based on a contingency approach. The…
Abstract
The process of managing the design and construction of a project on behalf of a client may be analysed using project management theory based on a contingency approach. The analysis provided by this approach, whilst useful for understanding the interaction of the parts of the system, the functions of project management and the effectiveness of the organization structure, may be limited by not incorporating an economic explanation of how a project organization structure is chosen. The transaction cost approach to the study of economic organization may provide a theoretical basis for such an explanation. This approach holds that an understanding of transaction cost economizing is central to the study of organizations as it determines whether functions are provided by the market or by hierarchy. This paper seeks to explore the relationship between these two powerful approaches in explaining the structuring and management of project organizations on behalf of clients and to explain the benefits of combining these approaches in furthering construction project management theory.