Analysis of Interactions among Project Success Criteria and Factors Using a Network-Path Approach

Abstract

Project-based organizations heavily seek success in their projects to generate profit. Therefore, successfully managing projects currently being pursued is critical to continue existing in the market. However, to design and implement an effective program for achieving project success, the interactions among project success factors (SFs) and success criteria (SCs) should be understood. This study aimed at developing a novel approach for modeling and analyzing the interactions among project SFs and SCs. This approach utilizes social network analysis (SNA) and a path-finding algorithm. SNA is used for visualizing and determining the root causes of project success. The paths between any of these roots and a targeted success criterion are determined using an existing algorithm for path-finding. For demonstration, this proposed approach is applied for modeling and analyzing the interactions among 28 project SFs and SCs for a construction firm. The value of the proposed approach lies in its simplicity for supporting project managers in developing an effective program for achieving project success.