Effects of human resource management on project effectiveness and success: Toward a new conceptual framework

Abstract

Project management strategy research has focused on the effects of structure and planning operations (such as budgets, date completion and quality) on project success. In the past, projects have been managed as technical systems instead of behavioral systems. Relatively little attention has been paid to human resource factor. However, the Project Management Institute in its official definition of Project Management Body of Knowledge (P.M.B.K.) included human resource management as one of the six fundamental basic functions of project management. 1 In this arena which lacks theoretical foundation, a relatively recent study made the situation even worse. Pinto and Prescott (1988) concluded that the ‘Personnel factor’ (independent variable) was the only factor in their research that was marginal for project success (dependent variable). This paper takes a critical look at this research and attempts to respond to their controversial findings. The main objective is to improve the thinking aspects and to highlight the validity of the measures used.