The client's influence on collaborative and distributed project success

Abstract

Today, project teams often work in complex collaborative and distributed settings, especially when multinational firms or international projects are involved. Studies on collaborative and distributed projects have attempted to identify and measure the factors that influence project success. Many models have been proposed, reflecting the rising importance of this research area. However, few authors have explored the client’s contribution to project success. This article presents a theoretical overview of: a) distribution and collaboration practises in technology industries; b) client involvement in project management. The empirical results of a study in Canadian firms are then presented. The results support the positive contribution to project success of certain dimensions of client involvement. A more surprising result suggests that client distance has little impact on the various dimensions of collaboration or involvement. The results highlight how collaboration between the client and the project team contributes to project success: a good client-team relationship appears to be particularly beneficial for projects teams as they cope with complex environments.