Project management practices: Then and now

ISO 9000 certification and construction project performance: The Malaysian experience

The business environment is surrounded by economic uncertainties, which shows the need to develop methodological practices that make it competitive, sustainable and innovative. The purpose of this paper is of analysing the relationships between the project management practices, the product and process innovation, and the sustainable competitive advantage in enterprises in Southern Brazil. This research has a quantitative and descriptive character, in which the data were collected through a survey in 226 enterprises in the Activity Sectors of Industrial Manufacturing, Commerce and Services. Data analysis done through the Structural Equation Modelling, we used the following techniques and methods: Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Hypotheses tests. The research showed that enterprises use project management practices and have product innovation and process innovation, which are essential for sustainable competitive advantage. However, the enterprises are moving towards proactive behaviours, since they present innovative actions for their market permanence and competitiveness, once the organisations face constant legal and political enforcement, due to the globalised market. The research shows evidence which may help the enterprises’ managers and decision-makers to improve or influence their enterprises’ competitive and sustainable performance. In this sense, the practical implications of the research are presented to add value to project managers and researchers.

Rethinking dichotomization: A critical perspective on the use of “hard” and “soft” in project management research

The aim of this research is to examine the level of adoption and application of project management practices in a not-for-profit organization within a case study of performance for all northwest. The growing competition for limited resources amongst organizations, both profit making and not-for-profit, continues to be a major driver for these organizations to adopt project management practices that can improve project performance efficiency and increase project success. Many research activities carried out on application of project management principles have been focused on profit-making organization especially the large companies. However, this research attempts to investigate the level of project management application within a not-for-profit company in the United Kingdom. This research was conducted based on Performance for All Northwest (PFA) as a case study. The company is a small social enterprise in the Northwest of England. A review of literature on project management framework, methodology and best practices across various disciplines was conducted. A qualitative method was adopted in the research and semi structured interview was conducted with the founder and a selected employee. The data obtained were subjected to qualitative evaluation, review of literature and a comparative analysis of the current project management practices within the organization with project management best practices was also conducted. The study utilized purposive sampling; a targeted selection process deemed suitable for its focus on individuals with specific insights into the organization. Purposive, or judgmental sampling, is preferred when researchers aim to engage a particular segment of the population that meets predefined criteria. Despite the limited sample size due to company size constraints, two respondents were identified as fitting the criteria based on their substantial experience within the organization. The result of the analysis shows that project management best practices regarding scope, time, and cost management are still lacking within the not-for-profit industry. It also reveals that inadequate knowledge of the importance of project management to organizational efficiency and project performance exists within the organization. The research further made recommendations for Performance for All Northwest and other not-for-profit organizations. The study confirms that although an increasing number of organizations are beginning to adopt modern project management methodologies, many are still using the conventional style of managing projects. The research has highlighted some important issues relating to project management practices at PFA. The research findings have identified some crucial gaps in the adoption of project management practices and will therefore recommend project planning, training, development, and lessons learned strategies to help improve project outcomes. While other studies on project management practices are centered on profits organizations, this study goes on to indicate specifically that not-for-profit organizations have not fully understood and appreciated how project management principles and methodologies can assist them in project performance and easier attainment of organizational objectives.

Introduction One of the challenges faced by students that are involved in the acquisition of an academic degree, as Higher Education or a PhD., are related to the difficulties of development of a Academic Research Project. Such challenges are surrounded by incorrect determination of the research scope and complexity, the erroneous estimatives for the research conclusion (or even the time demand due to problems occurring during the research development) or even finishing with poor quality as something that were not expected by the advisor and other evaluators. These elements culminates in the application of Project Management Theory that is being studied by institutions such as the Project Management Institute--PMI (PMSURVEY.ORG, 2010) over the years and which aims to improve the process of project development in general, including academic projects aimed at scientific research in the university accordingly to MUSTARO & ROSSI, 2013. PMI is responsible for developing guidelines for project management as defined on the Project Management Body of Knowledge--PMBoK (PMI, 2008). From the presented scenario, the general objective of this paper is to establish link between academic research projects with the Project Management Theory. As specific objectives, this paper considers: 1) present the types of academic research projects that can be treated according to the precepts of the project, 2) provide project management theoretical foundations, and 3) present part of the process groups of PMBoK (Project Management Body of Knowledge), a framework widely used in over a hundred countries, linking these process groups to the academic research projects. To develop the proposed objectives and present the research results this paper is organized as follows: initially is described the Project Management Principles, then the processes involved in Initiating and Planning Process Groups are detailed based on PMBoK as well their relation with Academic Research Project. For each process group, their relation with the Knowledge Areas from PMBoK are detailed, and specific templates, as an Academic Research Project Plan Template, are presented. Finally, the conclusions are related and future works are suggested. Project Management Principles It is considered that the man have been using actions that turns to practices of project management since long time ago. It is also considered that some important monuments created throughout the history of modern man were built under the precepts of project management although these were not formalized at the time. Valle et al. (2010) show historical analyses that consider the concept of project management can be older than it looks. According to the authors, the construction of the pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China and the Coliseum in Rome represent examples of man's efforts that must have been regimented by principles of project management. In the contemporary era is verified, as Valle et al. (2010), that several works were done under management of big monetary amounts and the work force of thousands of workers, which generated the need to implement project management practices. According to the authors, Taylor (1911) was a pioneer in the science of Project Management and Gantt (1919) was another student of these sciences. Both contributed greatly to the practices of modern project management. Although great events of the past suggested the theories of project management, it was only in the early twentieth century that the theories, methodologies and frameworks aimed at project management were in fact established. A timeline, according to Carvalho & Rabechini Jr. (2011), present great landmarks of project management from the twentieth century. This is able to present the evolution of project management practices and represents milestones in this setting, as shown in Table 1. In general, project management practices bring many benefits. …

Increased project complexity, project dynamics and changes in clients’ requirements are a few examples that suggest the necessity for flexibility in project management in order to deliver successful projects. Despite the fact that literature suggests adding flexibility to project management, there is no existing framework that provides a practical method for adding flexibility into the practice of project management in the construction industry. Therefore, this research is aimed at proposing a practical framework that helps practitioners in embedding project management flexibility into their project management practice. The research question is as follows: how to embed flexibility in the practice of project management in the early project phases? To answer the research question, four sub-questions have been formulated, which have been separately researched. The main question is answered by proposing a flexibility framework. This framework comprises four stages: understanding the current situation, practitioners’ perspectives on flexible project management, choosing enablers to become flexible and applying selected enablers to improve project performance. The framework is validated using the examples given by practitioners from 24 cases. Considering the movements towards flexibility and adaptability concepts, this research fills the gap in literature by providing a practical framework for project management flexibility. Moreover, it provides a step-by-step guideline for practitioners to embed flexibility in practice.

A major challenge in Information Systems and Information Technology is to improve the ability to conceptualize, design, develop and deliver information systems that meet customer requirements. Project management is often adopted to create solutions that work and meet customer needs. The principles of project management as defined by the Project Management Institute, can improve project success rates. Researchers in the project management need to help practitioners understanding the impact of different principles on the success of IS development. This study undertakes a survey of project management experts on the state of practice and research to examine the need for improving project management, and suggest areas that can be improved. Research may be the most effective means of defining opportunities for enhancing project success rates by tapping the wealth of literature and complementing it with the expertise of project management practitioners. INTRODUCTION Software development applications require frequent changes and updates in order to support enterprise systems. These frequent changes to IS/IT comprise a large volume of software development efforts. These efforts, undertaken as projects, are generally complex and take place in a dynamic environment where business conditions and technologies change frequently during the life of the project (Chen, et. al., 2004). The factors of project success include user involvement and project size, management and planning (Schmidt, et al., 2001). A fully operational project management system in enterprise offers the best opportunity for project success through the implementation of methods and tools for planning, organizing, and managing team-based activities to accomplish specific directives (Jurison, 1999). Project management is widely adopted in Corporate America embraces project management to implement system changes (Muriithi & Crawford, 2003; Park & Pena-Mora, 2003; Yilmaz & Phillips, 2007), which are even considered as too significant to outsource (Fish & Seydel, 2006) or having high risk of leading to undesirable consequences (Wei & Peach, 2006). However, many projects fail, even when performed using project management techniques. Such project failure reduces the capability of technology components. The 2004 Chaos report by the Standish Group found that only 28% of IT projects were successful, down from 34% in earlier report; The proportion of IT projects canceled before completion increased to 18% (from 15%), and a further 51% of IT projects were considered challenged as they are seriously late, over budget and missing expected features (The Standish Group, 2004; The Standish Group, 2007). Possible causes for these findings are the size and expense of large projects, a return to traditional development practices on large projects (Boddy, 1993), the absence of user involvement (Turner & Cochrane, 1993; Akbulut & Motwani, 2005), and lack of executive support (Munns & Bjeirmi, 1996). Thus, scope management is regarded as a key area of successful project management in practice (Hayes, 2004). Although some project failures are because of technical reasons, most are directly related to the failure of stakeholders to embrace the principles of good project management (Jurison, 1999). As part of the project management process, project teams must understand the standards to which their projects are being held in order to ensure that project performance is emphasized appropriately (Crawford, 2005). The Field Guide to Project Management (Cleland, 2004) suggests that project management should be an easy sell to organizations because it enhances business performance and increases revenue. An organization can manage project effectively by identifying its goals in applying project management principles (Aladwani, 2002). For most organizations, these goals are to apply a proven practice, optimize resources, serve customer needs and save time and money (Turner & Cochrane, 1993). …

Objective: In an age when competitive advantage needs to be sustained through innovation, especially in the very fast and dynamic tech industry, good practices in project management make a vital contribution toward successfully manoeuvring through the complexities of innovation projects. This study highlights the economic implications of project management on innovation performance within technology-based ventures, particularly in Saudi Arabia’s evolving tech ecosystem. Method: An empirical analysis of 372 responses using an SEM approach investigates the alignment of innovation objectives with project management practices by identifying key factors that contribute to innovation performance in an evolving tech ecosystem in Saudi Arabia. Results and Discussion: The research concluded that good project management practices can, to a high extent, enhance the innovative capability of tech startups, whereby the converted ideas can come into existence and be taken from the idea level to the marketplace. Research Implications: The practical implications of the research were to recommend ways in which tech startups and other firms can enhance their innovation performance by embracing best practices in project management. This implies that by coupling these economic practices with strategic innovation objectives, by fostering collaboration, and by managing resources and risks efficiently, organizations can substantially enhance their innovation capacity and ensure long-term success in competitive markets. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge at the border between project management and innovation and can contribute something new for both practitioners and policymakers within the tech environment.

This paper presents a model to assess Software Project Management (SPM) practices using our Software Project Management Maturity Assessment (SPMMA) model. We discuss the model procedure, assessment inputs and outputs, the assessment questionnaires, team selection associated with the SPMMA. We have tested our model in a mid-size IT company. One pilot project conferred with ISO 9001 certification has been selected in order to perform the assessment. For this version of assessment, it only focuses on the Project Management practices which comprise Project Planning, Project Monitoring and Control and Risk Management process areas. The paper also discuss about strength and weaknesses of the current process in the pilot project.

Creating and Appropriating Value from Project Management Resource Assets Using an Integrated Systems Approach

This paper presents a systematic literature review analyzing the intersection of intelligent technology and project management through empirical studies encompassing 53 peer-reviewed articles published between 2018 and 2024. The research aims to identify key themes, geographic distribution, author contributions, and future research directions in the field. The thematic analysis reveals five predominant categories: project complexity and theorizing, project governance and management, digitalization and technology, inter-organizational projects and networks, and agility and innovation. The geographic analysis indicates that Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, leads in research contributions, while North America and Asia show emerging but limited involvement. The author's contribution analysis highlights notable scholars who emphasize governance, sustainability, and digital transformation. Future research is expected to focus on intelligent technology-driven risk management, the integration of agile methodologies, and sustainability practices within project management frameworks. The findings underscore the transformative potential of intelligent technologies in enhancing project outcomes, emphasizing the need for robust governance and adaptability in project management practices. The study identifies critical gaps, particularly in the areas of public-private partnerships and cultural dynamics, suggesting avenues for future research to optimize the integration of intelligent technologies in project management. Overall, this review contributes to the understanding of how intelligent technology can reshape project management, providing a conceptual framework that integrates independent, dependent, intervening, and moderating variables to enhance project success in an increasingly complex environment.

This paper presents results of a qualitative study of the adoption of Project Management (PM) practices in an Information Technology (IT) division of a large manufacturing company. Structured interviews were used to gather data from a cross section of IT divisional leaders in the company to test and confirm a project management system developed from a literature review of project success factors that have contributed to projects' being on time, on budget, and of high quality. Data analysis using organization development (OD) grounded theory (Strauss and Corbin, 1990) identified common themes and cultural values that exist among the eight participants. Results of this study include the development of cultural framework to improve organization project performance (project success model) based on organization system design methods constructed from sociotechnical system theory (Taylor & Felton, 1993) and open system theory (Emery and Purser, 1996). In addition, the study confirmed the proposed open system design for the successful adoption of project management practices comprised of a project manager, project teams, performance measurement systems, and supporting management practices. An important conclusion from this research was that IT organizations that adopt the confirmed project success model must develop a project management culture based on shared cultural values of the organization's members that support adoption of project management. An implication of this study to the fields of organization development and project management is the confirmation of a project management system that IT organizations, OD practitioners, and project managers can employ to support the adoption of project management practices at both the organizational and project levels.

Projects with internal vs. external customers: An empirical investigation of variation in practice

Eco-efficiency projects are characterized by financial and environmental performance that progressively reduce the environmental impact and resource consumption throughout the life cycle. Therefore, the sustainable development can be considered a valuable way to achieve implementation of eco-efficiency projects. The Project analyzed sought the self-sustaining development to add value to each employee and more broadly contribute for the preservation of renewable and non-renewable resources of the planet. Given this context, this study sought to answer the following research question: How to identify the Project Management practices in a execution of an Eco-Efficiency Project? Thus, the objective of this research was to identify the practices in Project Management in the execution of the Eco-Efficiency Project deployed in the SINSESP (Sindicato das(os) Secretarias(os) do Estado de Sao Paulo), according to the project management practices. Considering this case study, it was possible to find out the processes which have been met, focusing on the following areas of expertise: Quality, Communication and Human Resources. The results of this study demonstrate that even without the knowledge of systematic practices in project management, SINSESP was able to follow most processes, which resulted in the success of the project and stakeholders involvement. This successful result is related to saving 31% in energy, 27% in drinking water, 18% in piped water and 65% in plastic cups.

As sustainability is being integrated into corporate strategies, the discussions on sustainability have moved from whether it should be addressed in strategy, to how it should be integrated into business practices. And as projects are a vehicle for the implementation of organizational strategies, it is suggested that consideration of sustainability should be integrated into the processes and practices of project management. A pivotal role in this integration is foreseen for the project manager. The project manager has a central position in the project, which provides the opportunity to influence many aspects of the project. However, an opportunity to act is be enough, as many factors or circumstances influence the actual behavior of the project manager with regards to sustainability.
 
 In a European study into the factors that stimulate project managers to address sustainability, three distinct stimulus patterns were revealed. As national or societal culture is known to influence sustainability behavior, the study reported in this paper focuses on exploring the factors that stimulate Canadian project managers to consider sustainability in their projects.
 
 Similar to the European study, this study revealed three distinct stimulus patterns, that were characterized as ‘Intrinsically motivated’, ‘Pragmatic’ and ‘Normative driven’. The findings of the study confirm the patterns of the earlier study to a large extent. Two of the three patterns of the studies showed similar characteristics. The third pattern of the studies showed partial similarity and partial difference, with the European project managers tending more towards the opportunities for implementation of sustainability, and the Canadian project managers putting more value on the alignment of personal and organizational values.