Performance measurement embedded in organizational project management of general contractors operating in Poland

Eryk Głodziński

doi:10.1108/mbe-06-2019-0051

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss contemporary knowledge relevant to the application of performance measurement (PMe) in the concept of OPM and to compare findings from a literature review with solutions recommended for utilization by managers from general contractors operating in Poland. There are few studies related to the mentioned topic, much fewer describing the geographical area of Eastern Europe.Design/methodology/approachTriangulation of research methods was selected. First literature review, next desk research and finally descriptive statistical analysis and interview were conducted. The research methods were applied in three steps whose beginnings overlapped and the mid-term findings from one study complemented others.FindingsPMe should be focused on management and governance issues. Its evaluation is related to various organizational levels (permanent organization, portfolio, program, project, construction site and supply chain), most of them are under valuated by practitioners. The conducted study pointed out that there are numerous supporting tools and measures applicable in organizational project management (OPM). The managers recommend combining various tools in one comprehensive OPM system, to limit multiple manual incorporations of the same data to the various databases. The managers call to increase the practical usefulness of researchers’ proposals, to educate the construction managers in the application of complex performance systems and to promote portfolio thinking.Originality/valueThe comparison of performance measurement solutions proposed by academia with experience collected from Polish construction managers could support the better application of theoretical ideas in practice.

Highlights

Organizational project management (OPM) is a fast-growing concept of management that can be applied in project-based organizations (PBO)
The presented literature review confirms that performance management and measurement should follow on various levels of OPM
Two groups of them could be perceived: 1. project, program, portfolio and permanent organization; and

Summary

Introduction

Organizational project management (OPM) is a fast-growing concept of management that can be applied in project-based organizations (PBO). Organization aspects of PBOs (such as organizational strategy, incentive schemes and performance management systems) are relatively less developed in the project management literature while domination of research on single project management can be observed (Miterev et al, 2017). A similar situation can be perceived among studies related to the construction industry, where issues relevant to OPM implementation and exploitation are often omitted. One of the crucial assessment criteria of OPM functioning is performance (Yazici, 2018). It has to be measured and managed on various levels of an organization: project, program, Received 1 June 2019 Revised 2 July 2020 Accepted 3 December 2020

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion