Assigning new product projects to multiple-project managers: What market leaders do

Abstract

One of the most important questions in project management is how to assign new projects to project managers. This question is especially challenging when a project manager already leads multiple, concurrent projects, e.g., a multiple-project manager of new product development projects in typical high-tech industries. To address this question, we explored the project assignment process of six market-leader companies in these industries. We found that in effective project assigning, management assigns projects first by prioritizing projects based on their contribution to the organization's strategic elements such as organizational mission and goals; second, by matching projects to multiple-project managers by using project requirements and the competencies of multiple-project managers; and third, by recognizing any organizational or personal limitations. Such effective project assignments likely lead to better performance of the project and of the organization.