The making and impacts of a classic text in megaproject management: The case of cost overrun research

Abstract

This paper presents a case study of the making and impacts of a classic text in the field of megaproject management. It focuses on Bent Flyvbjerg, Mette Skamris Holm and Søren Buhl's article Cost Underestimation in Public Works Projects: Error or Lie?, which was published in the Journal of the American Planning Association in 2002. The paper shows that classic texts can have a significant impact on megaproject planning theory and practice. Within the academy, classic texts are those that are widely cited and come to define the theoretical terrain, types of research questions that are asked and methods used in subsequent research. They also directly contribute to new megaproject planning methods and shape the public discourse on megaproject delivery. The paper concludes by identifying the key ingredients that make a classic text.