Project stakeholder’s engagement and performance: a comparison between complex and non-complex projects using SEM

Effective risk management is crucial for the success of oil projects, particularly in volatile markets like Pakistan. This paper examines the key organizational capabilities and external factors that influence risk management practices and project performance in the Pakistani oil industry. Through a comprehensive literature review and analysis of industry reports, the study identifies critical risk factors, effective risk management strategies and the role of organizational competencies in navigating these challenges. The findings suggest that a proactive, data-driven approach to risk management combined with strong project management capabilities and stakeholder engagement can significantly improve project outcomes. The research provides valuable insights for oil companies operating in Pakistan offering a framework to enhance their risk management practices and increase the likelihood of successful project delivery. The oil industry is inherently complex and fraught with various risks ranging from political and economic instability to technological constraints and regulatory hurdles. Specific to the Pakistani context, the sector faces a unique set of challenges that can significantly impact project performance. Analyzing the interplay between organizational capabilities and external factors is crucial for developing effective risk management strategies to navigate these turbulent waters. This research aims to comprehensively examine the elements influencing project performance within the Pakistani oil sector. The study will explore how various risk management practices including risk identification, assessment, mitigation, and monitoring, might influence project results. The research will also examine how organizational competencies such as skilled personnel, risk management resources, and governance frameworks, can contribute to the successful delivery of oil projects in Pakistan. Pakistan's oil industry is subject to a range of context-specific challenges that can profoundly impact project implementation and performance. Effectively managing these risks is vital for oil companies operating in the country as inadequate risk management can compromise project safety, environmental protection and overall profitability.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the influence of stakeholder integration and project complexity on information technology (IT) projects in Kenya. The following research question guided our inquiry: what is the influence of project complexity and stakeholder integration on the performance of IT projects in Kenya?Design/methodology/approachTo advance the current understanding of the effect of stakeholder integration and project complexity on IT projects, multiple regressions were used to predict how project complexity and stakeholder integration influence project performance. Both government-funded and privately funded IT projects from a developing country were examined.FindingsThe study found that any project’s complexity and stakeholder integration levels offer a distinctive contribution to its success. Theoretically, the study contributes to linkages between stakeholder integration and project complexity concerning IT project performance. Through the adoption of actionable research and theoretical elaboration, we have shown that the successful execution of IT projects is driven by the successful integration of stakeholders and monitoring the level of complexity at each phase of the project.Originality/valueThe findings of this study add to the burgeoning literature on the performance of IT projects and come with several managerial implications as well. It brings to the fore the concept of stakeholder integration as an essential element of project success. The findings suggest that the inclusion of stakeholder integration into corporate decisions, strategies and policies can be an asset to the production of sustainable competitive advantages needed during the implementation of IT projects in government entities and organisations. As shown in this study, all the above require a collaborative platform allowing for data sharing among diverse stakeholders to ameliorate distrust or lack of information.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the influence of requirement engineering (RE) on project performance (PP) in the context of NEOM* in Saudi Arabia. The study also aims to examine the relationship between three components of RE, evolving market needs (ECN), market changes (MC) and technological advancements (TA), on PP, through the mediating influence of effective communication (EC), change readiness (CR) and stakeholder engagement (SE). Further, the study aims to examine the moderating effect of team cohesion (TC) on the RE–PP relationships. Design/methodology/approach A research framework is developed by drawing on the resource-based theory and with the support of empirical evidence and rational arguments to propose a set of hypotheses relating to the constructs in the framework. The hypotheses are tested through survey data collected from individual employees working on different projects across NEOM. A total of 336 useable responses were collected that were analyzed through covariance-based structural equation modeling using AMOS v.28. Findings The results show although ECN and TA both have a positive impact on PP, MC had no significant relationship with PP. In terms of the mediation hypotheses, EC, CR and SE all partially mediate the relationships between ECN and TA with PP. However, there was no mediating effect in the relationship between MC and PP. Moreover, EC, CR and SE themselves have a significant positive influence on PP. Finally, TC proved to be a significant moderator between ECN and PP and TA and PP, but not in the case of MC and PP. Originality/value This study makes three novel contributions. First, most prior empirical studies examined the overall impact of RE on PP; however, the current study provides a more nuanced insight into the relationships between the three components of RE (i.e. ECN, MC and TA) and PP. Second, the mediating roles of EC, CR and SE between components of RE and PP present a finer-grained understanding of how project resources are linked to project success goals through features of the project team. Third, moderating influence of TC with regard to a higher possibility of success for projects are highlighted through this discovery.

The general objective of this research was to assess the risk management process and project performance. The descriptive research design with a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach was used to a sample of 118 respondents selected from 168 target population using stratified sampling technique and Sloven’s formula. SPSS Statistical software was used in the analysis of the collected data into descriptive statistics by the help of mean and standard deviation. The inferential statistics were also analyzed as regression and correlation analysis. The results of this research have shown that project risk identification and performance of Mpazi channel construction project has a highly positive and significant relationship, with a coefficient of correlation of 0.970 and sig=.000, which is less than 0.05 level significance. The correlation results have also revealed r=0.979 and sig=0.00 which is less than 0.05 level of significance, hence proving a highly positive and significant relationship between project risk management strategy and performance of Mpazi channel construction project. The correlation results have also shown an r =0.985 and sig=0.00 which is less than 0.05 proving significant and positive relationship between project risk plan response and Mpazi Channel construction project performance. The research also found that a combination of project risk identification, risk management plan and risk plan response contributed to 97.5 percent (R2= 0.975) of the Mpazi Channel construction project success. Thus, the researcher concluded that the project risk management procedure has an impact on the performance of the Mpazi Channel construction project. Basing on the findings of the study, researcher recommends that a formal and planned project risk management procedure should be implemented throughout project planning to key construction personnel, support staff, and laborers. Keywords: Project Risk Management Process, Project Performance, Construction, Rwanda

The construction sector is always looking for efficient project management techniques. The purpose of this literature review is to build a solid project performance by carefully examining the inherent characteristics of construction projects. This review integrates various project elements, such as project scope, risk management, stakeholder engagement, resource allocation, and technological integration, which highlight the multifaceted nature of construction activities. A factual overview of certain key trends and findings from the research literature that relate to the construction sector encounters difficulties in achieving project success. This abstract also states that an in-depth investigation of the project performance is changing in the construction industry and the characteristics that go along with it. The paper investigates the complex relationship between project success criteria and quality assurance, sustainability, stakeholder engagement, risk management, cost control, scheduling, and industry reports and case studies. This paper provides an in- depth analysis of construction project. Keywords: Construction, Project Performance, Characteristics, Stakeholder Dynamics, Technology, Success Criteria, Sustainability, Risk Management.

This study aims to explore and identify effective communication practices influencing performance of international development projects in Pakistan and also illustrates important project complexity elements which moderates the relationship between effective communication and project performance. After detailed literature review and conducting 9 expert interviews from project managers, project coordinators and communication coordinators working on international development projects, we identified 4 key communication practices which should be adopted by project professionals working on such projects. These practices involved (i) Quality of communication, (ii) Frequency of communication, (iii) Communication formality (iv) Communication bi-directionality. Task complexity is taken as moderator between communication and performance relationship. A survey was conducted to find the impact of communication practices and moderating impact of project complexity on project performance. Questionnaires were sent to 60 international organizations working on such projects. The results of the study showed that these practices have significant and positive impact on project performance; project complexity has a minimal impact on the communication and performance relationship. Recommendations were made on the basis of the results of the study.

Throughout the course of a project cycle, the many phases of project management—including planning, execution, control and monitoring, and ending—are integrated and executed. In modern firms, project management has become the dominant tool for managing change. Best practices have emerged due to global project management practices and company evolution. The primary goal was to investigate how project management approaches affected project performance of the Saudi Arabia Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). This study investigated the impact of various project management practices including risk management, communication, leadership, and stakeholder management, on project performance in manufacturing SMEs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A quantitative research methodology was employed, with data collected from 250 employees (i.e., supply chain, finance and R&D managers/supervisors) across 8 SMEs. The results revealed that risk management, leadership practices, and stakeholder management significantly contribute to project performance. Surprisingly, no significant relationship was found between communication practices and project performance. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of effective risk management, strong leadership, and efficient stakeholder management in achieving successful project outcomes. Finance managers and R&D managers in Saudi manufacturing SMEs should lead and engage stakeholders to improve project performance. Supply chain managers must manage risk and maintain stakeholder relationships to avoid disruptions. Communication improvements, despite their small impact, are essential for departmental coordination. Global project management strategies tailored to local culture and business will improve project success.

Abstract: Previous studies have made vital contributions to the theory and practice of engaging and managing project stakeholders. A literature review plays a critical role in supporting researchers to better understand the research topic, helping researchers identify the boundaries of the current body of knowledge and research trends, and shaping future research. Thus, this paper analyses the latest research developments in stakeholder management within the context of complex projects. It examines articles published between 2005 and 2016, and discusses the relevant trends under four themes: stakeholder analysis, stakeholder influence, stakeholder management strategies and stakeholder engagement. The paper reveals that social network analysis strongly emerges to be a valuable tool for analyzing the complexity of stakeholder interrelationships in the context of CPs. Stakeholder analysis and stakeholder engagement strategies are powerful in addressing environmental complexity (including multiple stakeholders, an environment of changing policy and regulation, and an environment with a changing nature) projects. The paper draws conclusions regarding the findings of the review, and provides some recommendations for future research.

The culprit for project failure is the complexity that is associated with a project. Unfortunately, project complexity will be part and parcel of a project especially in a VUCA world. This implies then that projects will continuously fail as the culprit is not disappearing. However, the purpose of this paper is to show how complexity at times appears like an opaque conundrum, which allows hiding whatever in it, even stupidity. The analysis of 1064 datasets from a questionnaire-based survey on stakeholder complexity reveals that project stakeholders do not treat project complexity with the necessary respect that sometimes borders stupidity. The article highlights that project stakeholders do not apply common sense when dealing with project complexity. Our journey in understanding project complexity became a learning journey into stupidity and a critical reflection on our frivolous liaison with the VUCA world.

Traditional three-dimensional project management theory is based on optimizing the cost-schedule-technical dimensions. Recent studies in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia have shown that the current project management body of knowledge may not be adequate to address interrelated and dependent variables encountered on complex projects. This paper reports the findings of an international research team’s detailed study of 18 complex projects, which confirms the findings of the previous research and proposes a framework upon which a complex transportation project’s scope of work can be better conceptualized and a methodology to graphically display a project’s complexity in order to better understand and prioritize the available resources. The result is a “complexity footprint” that helps the complex transportation project manager identify the sources of complexity so that appropriate resources can be allocated to address those factors before they create a crisis.

Project management methodologies play a crucial role in determining the success or failure of a project. Selecting an inappropriate methodology can lead to inefficiencies, budget overruns, delays, and even total project failure. This article investigates the correlation between project failure and the incorrect selection of project management methodologies through a structured survey conducted among project managers with direct experience from past projects. The research aims to quantify the impact of methodology selection on various project outcomes, including stakeholder involvement, risk identification, and the effectiveness of mitigation strategies. The survey is carefully designed to capture comprehensive data on past project characteristics, including project size, complexity, industry, team composition, and the frequency of methodology changes. It also examines the reasons behind methodology selection, the rationale for methodology changes, and the effect of these decisions on final project outcomes. By focusing on both successful and failed projects, the study identifies common risk factors and assesses how specific methodologies either contributed to or mitigated those risks. A key aspect of the analysis involves using statistical calculations to evaluate project failure and success rates, resource availability, stakeholder engagement, and the extent to which an incorrect methodology influences project deliverables. By employing formulas such as project success rate, stakeholder involvement, resource availability, initial methodology that was used, wrong methodology, correlation between project failure and wrong methodology, most remediated and not remediated risks, correlation between risk monitoring frequency and project failure, correlation between team composition and project failure and correlation between project complexity and project failure This approach allows for an objective evaluation of the degree to which incorrect methodologies correlate with project failures and highlights patterns of risks that are most frequently remediated or left unresolved. The findings from this research will offer actionable insights for project managers and organizations, enabling them to make more informed decisions when selecting methodologies. By understanding the relationship between methodology choice and project outcomes, organizations can adopt best practices to minimize project risks, improve project success rates, and ensure greater alignment between the chosen methodology and the unique needs of each project. Additionally, the study's statistical framework can be applied in future research to further refine the analysis of project management methodology effectiveness.

Complexity in project co-creation of knowledge for innovation

Social identification among project team members significantly impacts project performance, yet existing research often overlooks how team members' identification with the team and with the project influences project performance under varying conditions of complexity and uncertainty. This is especially important when team members are involved in multiple simultaneous projects. Combining social identity theory with an uncertainty perspective, we examine how team identification and project identification relate to project performance. In uncertain environments, project identification reduces uncertainty by guiding norms and managing interdependencies across multiple projects, reducing resource depletion and enhancing project performance. By contrast, team identification reduces uncertainty from project complexity, improving outcomes. In stable environments, project identification primarily reduces uncertainty from project complexity. We analyze project complexity and concurrent project assignments as moderators and resource depletion as a mediator. Using data from two studies—137 IT professionals during the COVID‐19 pandemic in 2020 (an uncertain environment) and 101 in 2023 (a stable environment), we extend the social identity literature by highlighting the distinctive influences of team identification and project identification on project performance.

PurposeThe purpose of the research presented in this paper is to develop a framework for an accurate understanding and assessment of the social performance and value creation of public infrastructure projects. Social performance evaluation is an important component of sustainable project development. In this research, the measure of social sustainability performance of projects within sustainable the development context is quantified in terms of social benefits flowing to the stakeholders as well as to the community at large.Design/methodology/approachIn this research, a framework is developed to evaluate social performance based on stakeholders' networks and their influences in the project. Adopting the social network analysis (SNA) methodology, stakeholders are firstly identified according to their roles in the project and relationships are investigated based on a structured interview process. A case study was used to demonstrate the applicability of the framework. Integrating the impact of stakeholders and their satisfaction level, a social performance indicator (SPI) is synthesised as a measure of quantifying social sustainability in projects.FindingsThe key contribution of this research includes identifying the subsystems functioning in social sustainability, developing criteria for social value evaluation with regard to subsystems in social sustainability performance, identifying the influence of individual stakeholders in social networks, generating a social performance index by synthesising the needs of different stakeholders in the social network, and balancing the three subsystems in the project. A framework for evaluating social performance is developed and further demonstrated by a case study in Australia.Research limitations/implicationsThe framework should be further tested using complex projects with diverse stakeholders, which potentially may expand the social dimensions as a complex system within the project development environment. While the accuracy of data is the key for achieving objective outcomes in the social network analysis, integration with other traditional stakeholder management approach may simplify the data collection process. Introduction of project information in advance should improve participation rate and accuracy in response among the key stakeholders.Practical implicationsThe framework facilitates the construction industry professionals for an accurate estimation of social performance and value creation of public infrastructure projects. This capability should assist all parties, such as clients, policy makers, strategists, financiers, community leaders, etc., involved in making informed decisions in infrastructure planning and development.Originality/valueSustainability development still needs to be translated inro many disciplines and discourses, including construction and project management within the built environment. Social network analysis is an increasingly popular tool that represents an opportunity for developing interesting and useful approaches associated with stakeholder integration. The attempt to combine the degree of centrality of stakeholders and perceived social value presented in this research is quite intriguing in the context of measuring social sustainability performance of projects.

Stakeholder engagement in adaptation interventions: an evaluation of projects in developing nations