Teams and Project Performance: An Ability, Motivation, and Opportunity Approach

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 purpose of this study was to assess the effect of resource management practices on the performance of livestock projects in Rwanda. The study was guided by the following specific objectives: To investigate the effect of resource planning to the performance of RDDP in Gicumbi District; to assess the effect of project implementation to the performance of RDDP in Gicumbi District; to find out the effect of resource monitoring and evaluation to the performance of RDDP in Gicumbi District and finally to determine the effect of mediating variables to the performance of RDDP in Gicumbi District. This study was carried out in Gicumbi District using descriptive survey design and targeting 648 population including RDDP implementers, beneficiaries and stakeholders. The sample size was calculated using Slovin’s formula. The study used 219 respondents who were selected purposively from RDDP’s beneficiaries, stakeholders and implementers. Data was collected using structured questionnaire, Kobo Toolbox software and interview. Coded filled sheets were used for extracting data from the returned questionnaires. The data was analyzed using SPSS and the findings showed that a number of factors affect the performance of livestock projects in Rwanda. A correlation matrix indicating the relationships among variables show that there are strong positive correlations with Project performance (0.785, 0.775 and 0.689) emphasizing the significance p-values (Sig. 2-tailed = .000) of effective Project resources planning, Project implementation and Project resources monitoring respectively. The correlation coefficient, represented by the value of R, is 0.864 for this model. This indicates a strong positive correlation between the combined effects of the predictors and the dependent variable. The coefficient of determination, denoted as R2, is 0.747 and Project resources planning, Project implementation, and Project resources monitoring exhibit coefficients of β1: 0.429, β2: 0.477, β3: 0.101 while Mediating variables have β4 of 0.184 and Significance levels (p<0.05) indicate strong positive effects on project performance. The regression analysis p-value of 0.000 (Sig.<0.05) indicates the significant effect of project resource planning, implementation, and monitoring, as well as the mediating variable, on project performance in Gicumbi District. This leads to confirming that there is a significant positive effect of project resource management on project performance.

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of project management practices on project performance in One Acre Fund Projects, with the following specific objectives: To evaluate the relationship of project business case and performance of One Acre Fund Project, to examine the contribution of project brief on performance of One Acre Fund Project, to investigate the relationship of creating project plan and performance of projects especially in One Acre Fund Project. This study was structured as an analysis of the project management methods on the performance of the One Acre Fund Project. It requires close observation of a situation and involves both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The responses to research surveys drawn from One Acre Fund Project workers. To gather data, the researcher used questionnaires to collect the data. 150 employees of One Acre Fund Project made up the population for the purposes of this study to refer to the study's target population as the area of concentration from which generalizations about the research findings were formed. The sample size was chosen by applying the Slovin’s formula. Therefore, 109 respondents. The stratified sampling technique used to determine the appropriate sample size to select from each stratum. Both primary and secondary data were required to support this investigation. Descriptive and inferential statistics used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data. Multi-stage and purposive sampling method Quantitative data analysis calculated using SPSS version 25.0, while information gathered through interviews and thematically analyzed using content analysis. The results indicate that a favorable correlation (r = 0.727, p=0.000< 0.05) was found between Project business case and performance of One Acre Fund Projects. The quality of the Project brief has a favorable relationship with the outcome of One Acre Fund Projects (r = 0.774, p=0.000< 0.05). In-depth project plan creation is positively correlated with the performance of One Acre Fund Projects, as shown by the data (r = 0.789, p=0.000< 0.05). One Acre Fund Rwanda should invest in well-structured, strategically aligned project business cases, regularly updating them to adapt to changing circumstances, and fostering improved project performance. Standardized guidelines for project briefs and monitoring their adherence are advised to enhance project initiation and goal consistency. Additionally, enhancing project planning processes, emphasizing adaptability through regular reviews and adjustments, is essential for optimizing project execution and performance.

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.

Complexity, Maturity and Competency in the Project Risk Management Environment: A Relational Framework

Interface management (IM) is a main factor in the success of construction projects. The failure to correctly manage interfaces impacts a project’s performance measurements, such as scope control and schedule. Using Alberta’s data, collected using a web questionnaire from a large group of experienced industry experts, three phases are conducted in this research. The first identifies the top ten interface problems that affect IM. The second phase includes enhancing project performance by developing and applying multiple regression analysis models between the underlying interface problem factors and the project performance indicators. The last phase includes measuring the severity of the impact of each IM problem to develop an IM risk analysis model. The results of the multiple regression models indicate that the interface problems caused by the “technical engineering and site issues factor”, the “bidding and contracting factor”, and the “information factor” were the strongest influences on the schedule and cost project performance indicators. The results will assist engineers, architects, and others in analyzing and predicting the project performance. This will in turn serve to minimize project delay and cost and reduce conflict among project participants.

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.

Developing new products is a highly dynamic complex process. Managing such dynamic projects is not an easy task. In this research, different scenarios of NPD projects' work systems are examined. The capability of these projects' work systems to deal with the dynamic nature of NPD projects to mitigate the negative impacts of this nature on NPD project' performance. This study shows that, the most suitable organisational work environment for moderate and high complex projects is the highly flexible work system environment. While it is appropriate for low complex projects to provide a formal work system environment. This study tries to use systems dynamic modelling to model the work system characteristics and managerial styles in interaction with projects behaviour. It provides a step towards the understanding of how both work systems characteristics and managerial styles would influence projects performance and their probability of success. It serves as a guide for projects managers suggesting proper ways to better manage different NPD projects with different levels of complexities.

In order to know the influence mechanism of the trust among project stakeholders on the project performance, hypotheses are proposed and a conceptual model is constructed by taking the knowledge transfer as a mediator. By means of 183 effective questionnaires from different areas, structural equation model are used to verify the proposed hypotheses. Results of the analyses suggest that contractual trust, competence trust, emotional trust of project stakeholders has significant positive effects on project performance while the degree to which trust affects project performance varies with different dimensions. And it has been proved that knowledge transfer plays a partially mediating role between each dimension of trust and project performance. These findings provide some valuable inspirations for project managers that project managers should not only put emphasis on the formation of high level trust, but also promote knowledge transfer among stakeholders to achieve great project performance.

The goal of this study is to comprehend the impact of risk management on project performance. Further it aims to investigate the degree of diffusion of risk management practice in Brazilian companies. The methodological approach involves a survey of 415 projects at different levels of complexity in different industrial sectors in several states of Brazil. The results demonstrate that adopting risk management practices has a significant positive impact on project success. They also show a positive impact from the presence of a risk manager on project success. The study’s principal limitations are the methodological choice of non probability sampling and a questionnaire based on respondent perception. From the practical point of view, paying attention to uncertainties during the project, making use of the risk management techniques and deeply understand the business environment are critical success factors, demanding attention of project managers and risk managers. The results demonstrate the impact of risk management practices on project success. They also show a positive impact from the presence of a risk manager on project success. Furthermore, it demonstrated the importance of soft skill in risk management.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of management information system and performance of Governmental agricultural project in Rwanda. The study was guided by the following specific objectives: To determine the effect of Management Information System software on the performance of Sustainable Agriculture Productivity and Market Linkage project, to identify the effect of Management Information System usage on the performance of Sustainable Agriculture Productivity and Market Linkage project, to assess the effect of quality information on the performance of Sustainable Agriculture Productivity and Market Linkage project and to examine effect of Management Information System user on the performance of Sustainable Agriculture Productivity and Market Linkage project. This study adopted descriptive design to get results related to the study, the target population as well sample size was 81 employees of Sustainable Agriculture Productivity and Market Linkage Project. Researcher applied census as sampling technique. The source of data was primary and secondary methods. Questionnaires were used to collect primary data and documentary review applied for collecting secondary data. The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistical analysis with use of frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation, and inferential statistics by the use of Pearson correlation (r) and multiple linear regression analysis. The presentation of findings was done using tables, the pilot test was performed to ensure the validity and reliability of instrument used in data collection. The findings have shown that MIS Software and performance of Sustainable Agriculture Productivity and Market Linkage project has strong positive correlation of 0.972 and Sig=0.000 which is less than 0.01 significance level. The results also showed that MIS Usage is correlated with performance of Sustainable Agriculture Productivity and Market Linkage project at 0.986 which is high positive correlation and significance of 0.000 which less than significance level of 0.01. Further, the findings have shown that quality information and performance of Sustainable Agriculture Productivity and Market Linkage project of 0.954 and sig=0.000 which is below of significance level of 0.01. The correlation results have also shown that MIS User contributes to the performance of Sustainable Agriculture Productivity and Market Linkage project at highly positive correlation of 0.933 and significance of 0.000 which less than significance level of 0.01. The study concluded that management information system contributes to the performance of Sustainable Agriculture Productivity and Market Linkage project at 96.9 percent. In recommendation, the study recommended project managers to use MIS in making breakdown structure as the way of allocating resource in appropriate manner as well as enhancing project performance. Keywords: Management Information System, Management Information System usage, quality information, Management Information System user, Performance

PurposeThe large number of stakeholders in a project is a source of complexity because their inter-relationships can lead to complex interactions, an inadequate understanding of the other stakeholders and conflicting stakeholder interests. Although several studies have investigated the role and effects of engaging stakeholders in improving project success, studies examining the relationships between stakeholder engagement (SE) and quantitative and qualitative project performance (PP) in complex projects (CPs) have been limited. This study empirically examined the relationships between SE and project performance within complex and non-CP contexts.Design/methodology/approachThe study used an extensive literature review to develop the conceptual model. The study identified 22 factors of measuring SE and project performance’s association within the context of CPs. The literature review followed by a questionnaire survey to collect data from quantifying the relationships. One hundred forty-four responses were received from project managers in different locations. The response data were subjected to structural equation modelling analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to evaluate the measurements model.FindingsThe current study generated several key findings. In the context of CPs, SE was found to negatively affect quantitative PP but to positively and significantly affect qualitative PP. In non-CPs, SE also positively affects qualitative PP. Further, in the context of CPs, SE negatively affects schedule performance, whereas no significant relationship was found between the two variables in non-CPs. In terms of cost performance, no significant relationship was observed between SE and cost performance for either group.Originality/valueThis research provides insight into differences in the relationship(s) between SE and PP in non-complex and CPs. The research also makes recommendations for project team members.

Based on project management literature, case studies and experts interviews 55 project performance attributes were identified. Responses were sought through a two-stage questionnaire survey to identify the critical success factor for four project performance criteria: schedule, cost, quality, and no-dispute. Critical success factors vary across the four performance criteria and the impact they have on project performance is dependent on the current project performance level. Some of the critical success factors have been used as predictor variables to predict the project performance using a neural network model. Structural Equation Modeling has shown that among the success factors, ‘human factors’ and ‘management actions’ have positive interrelationship with the project success. Coordination among project participants is also found to be important for project success. Various coordination issues have been discussed and the required traits of a project coordinator have been specified.KeywordsProject ParticipantsStages QuestionnaireProject ChoiceGood Practice TechniquesTeam Building SkillsThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

PurposeThe aim of this study is to investigate the influence of Project Management Office (PMO) functions on project performance in businesses in Lower Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) using Partial Least Square–Structural Equation Modelling (PLS–SEM).Design/methodology/approachUtilizing close-ended questionnaires in a cross-sectional survey, 256 project professionals from 10 business sectors in Ghana views were elicited. The questions were developed through a comprehensive literature review and involved 27 PMO functional measures grouped into 6 and 19 project performance measures grouped into 6. Data collected was then analysed using the PLS–SEM to validate the hypothetical relationship.FindingsThe PLS–SEM model supported 13 (t > 1.65) out of 36 hypotheses investigating the relationship between PMO functions and project performance. Variations in the PMO functions moderately (R2 = 0.34) explained the performance of projects. The aggregate activities of the PMO had the highest significant influence on environmental performance (R2 = 0.467). The topmost PMO function was identified as monitoring and controlling project performance, and it was significantly associated with cost (ß = 0.265, p < 0.05), quality (ß = 0.291, p < 0.05) and project scope (ß = 0.265 p < 0.05) performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis research has brought more illumination to the functions of PMOs and its influence on project performance. The results suggest that PMO activities, when tailored to the business context, can significantly change project performance variables.Originality/valueMost research on PMO and project performance has been limited to developed countries or a single sector. This study uniquely expands the business sectors and focuses on LMICs.

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.