How successful are principle-based project management methodologies?

TY - CONF

T1 - How successful are principle-based project management methodologies?

AU - Svejvig, Per

AU - Kock, Alexander

AU - Hansen, Lars Kristian

PY - 2024/6/26

Y1 - 2024/6/26

N2 - The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between principles-based project management methodologies (PMMs) and project success. Principles-based PMMs have seen their entry into both research and practice as a shift from more process-based methodologies. Project success continues to be high on the agenda in project management and the relationship with PMMs remains relatively unexplored. We used a cross-industry, multi-informant, multi-level survey sample of 351 participants nested in 92 project portfolios to investigate the relationship between PMMs and project success. Our results show that three specific PMM principles have a relatively positive effect on project success and that there was no moderating effect from project-level factors except project budget, where the relationship becomes stronger for larger projects and slightly lower for smaller ones. We add to the burgeoning literature about principles-based project management by testing a principles-based PMM’s relationship to pro-ject success, but also discussing which principles and how many are relevant to include in specific PMMs. We furthermore extend a semantic hierarchy for PMMs to include principles. Finally, we discuss the dynamics of principles in organizations and their environment.

AB - The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between principles-based project management methodologies (PMMs) and project success. Principles-based PMMs have seen their entry into both research and practice as a shift from more process-based methodologies. Project success continues to be high on the agenda in project management and the relationship with PMMs remains relatively unexplored. We used a cross-industry, multi-informant, multi-level survey sample of 351 participants nested in 92 project portfolios to investigate the relationship between PMMs and project success. Our results show that three specific PMM principles have a relatively positive effect on project success and that there was no moderating effect from project-level factors except project budget, where the relationship becomes stronger for larger projects and slightly lower for smaller ones. We add to the burgeoning literature about principles-based project management by testing a principles-based PMM’s relationship to pro-ject success, but also discussing which principles and how many are relevant to include in specific PMMs. We furthermore extend a semantic hierarchy for PMMs to include principles. Finally, we discuss the dynamics of principles in organizations and their environment.

M3 - Paper

T2 - European Academy of Management Annual Conference 2024

Y2 - 25 June 2024 through 28 June 2024

ER -