Managing Technology-Based Projects: A Comparison of the Practices of Brazil and the United States

Abstract

ABSTRACTAn exploratory study was conducted of how project managers in Brazil and the United States perceive selected project management tools and procedures to be important to project success, and to what extent they utilize them. Interviews were conducted with 65 managers of technology-based projects in Brazil, and 58 in the United States. The findings show significant differences between the two groups. Brazilian managers did not utilize these tools and procedures as often as U.S. managers due to different perceptions of importance, lack of corporate policies, and little prior experience with such tools. The most important conclusion of this study is that even with similar training and exposure to the same information on project management, Brazilian managers still have room for improvement to close the gap created by U.S. managers' longer experience with project management tools and procedures, favorable corporate policies, and fewer budgeting constraints.