The “re-meaning” of project success: Updating and recalibrating for a modern project management

Abstract

Decades of research demonstrate that practitioners and scholars may have only a vague notion of what project success is and thus settle for conflicting or inaccurate attributions of this still-elusive phenomenon. Stakeholder evaluations may differ as multiple groups and coalitions seldom hold the same viewpoint. A project that meets business expectations may have unintended consequences on society, highlighting the importance of sustainability. Thus, it remains challenging to devise a parsimonious success model that key stakeholders, internal and external, can minimally agree upon. This paper updates, recalibrates and further “complexifies” project success based on four multidimensionality sources: benefits realization, stakeholder perceptions, issues of timing, and sustainability. The paper proposes a four-dimensional model of success to assess project plan success, business case success, and green efficacy, along with the shared feeling of key stakeholders. The paper concludes with an agenda highlighting future research to further our understanding of the project success phenomenon.