Information Technology Project Success Research Articles

The Effect of High Risk Behavior on Project Success in the Existence of Competency of Project Manager as a Moderator

Efficient project management is necessary for the success and survival of information technology sector of Pakistan in this rapidly changing technology era. The aim of the study is to check the complex relation among high risk behavior and success of projects in the information technology sector of Pakistan by keeping in place competency of project managers as a moderator. Consideration of efficient project management and rapidly technological changes is necessary for success of information technology sector as this sector is facing worldwide competitiveness and plenty of risk of failure. Instant study contains 330 sample size from information technology sector of Pakistan. Quantitative technique is used in this study. Theoretical framework of this study built on the relationship of high risk behavior, project manager competency and project success of information technology sector of Pakistan. The core motive of this study is to check the effect of high risk behavior in the projects on the success of information technology sector projects of Pakistan in the existence of competency of project managers as a moderator. Data analysis and findings of this study reflects that there is positive association among high risk behavior and success of information technology projects and competency of projects managers positively enhances this relationship. Both hypothesis of the study accepted. This study is important for both researchers and practitioners. From researchers’ point of view, it opens more avenues for further research and for practitioners it gave recommendations for enhancement of the success of the projects that ultimately leads to success of that organization.

Redefining Success: How Personal Ambitions and Confidence Levels Shape IT Project Dynamic

Abstract Background Failures in information technology (IT) projects continue to concern executives and organisations. Individuals are realising that to remain competitive in the workplace, they must develop skills to become successful project team members and project managers. Objectives The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between IT project team members’ competencies and their impact on IT project success, considering the iron triangle. Methods/Approach Our study is based on IT projects that have been implemented for a public or private organisation in Slovenia and where contractors are employed in IT development enterprises on a sample of 141 IT companies. Step-wise regression was used to determine which competencies of various project roles are relevant for project success. Results The most intriguing result is the negative association of achievement orientation with project success for analysts or consultants, suggesting that an excessive focus on personal accomplishments could potentially conflict with team objectives. Additionally, the variation in the significance of self-confidence across roles, particularly its less critical impact on project managers, challenges conventional wisdom regarding the universal importance of confidence in leadership positions. Conclusions These insights reveal the nuanced and role-specific contributions of individual characteristics to project success, highlighting the importance of aligning personal traits and professional actions with the project team’s collective goals.

Dark side of leadership and information technology project success: the role of mindfulness

PurposeThe success of projects is a major challenge for information technology (IT) project-based businesses (PBOs). Employees' negative emotions (NE) disrupt the employees' usual work activities by creating obstacles to routine operations. Organizations should take steps to lessen these NE. The current study assessed the mediating role of NE and the moderating influence of employee mindfulness in the association between despotic leadership (DL) and IT project success (PS).Design/methodology/approachTime-lagged data were collected from 341 employees working in various IT-based project organizations in Pakistan using purposive sampling.FindingsResults were consistent with the authors' hypothesized framework, as DL increases employees' NE, which in turn negatively affects IT PS. In addition, mindfulness plays a buffering role in mitigating the damaging impact of DL on NE.Originality/valuePrevious researchers focused on the positive aspects of leadership and its influence on PS and paid limited attention to the dark leadership style. The authors' study's findings help understand how project-based organizations can reduce employees' NE.

Change management and digital transformation project success in SMEs located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

PurposeManagerial practices are essential in the success of information technology (IT) projects of digital transformation (DT). However, the literature has not yet specified all these managerial practices. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the influence of change management on the success of IT projects of DT. Additionally, the author examines the consequences on SMEs in the economic context of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).Design/methodology/approachThis study draws on a research model that elucidates aspects of the resource-based view (RBV) framework, notably the transformation of human resources based on change management. This model demonstrates the relationship between change management, DT and IT project success, which facilitates the performance and resilience of SMEs. To empirically validate and test the developed research model, we gathered 299 responses from SME managers in the DRC through cross-sectional data collection using a structured questionnaire. The author performed statistical analyses using variance-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with the help of SmartPLS 3.0.FindingsThis paper reveals how SME managers can succeed in DT projects with the change management of human resources. Furthermore, it establishes that the success of IT projects of DT is an essential for enhancing the performance and resilience of SMEs in the DRC.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the information systems (IS) literature on developing countries by highlighting the DRC context. Little research deals with the success factors of DT projects and their organizational impact on SMEs in developing countries. This study thus enriches the IS literature by filling this void.

Lord of the Flies in Project-Based Organizations: The Role of Passive Leadership on Creativity and Project Success

This study examines the role of passive project leadership in project success. The article deduces a theoretical model implying that passive project manager leadership behavior affects the success of information technology projects, directly and indirectly, via employees’ creativity. Self-regulation is proposed as a mitigating factor to minimize the destructive effects of passive leadership on creativity. The current study is based on a quantitative research design. A time lag design was used to collect data from 347 respondents working on information technology projects in Pakistan. SmartPLS was used for data analysis. The findings demonstrated that although passive leadership appears in flat organizations, it can have a negative impact on project success via creativity. Additionally, if the person is self-regulatory, it will not alter the results. The study added to the project management body of knowledge by confirming that a strong leadership role, instead of a passive one, is essential to boosting the creativity of project personnel. A passive leader remains inactive during situations where a strong leader is needed; however, self-regulation on the part of employees proved insufficient to propel a project toward success.

Development of a mathematical model for planning team readiness for IT solution implementation projects

Due to the emergence of new business lines and areas requiring automation, there is a need for planning and managing project work. Information technology (IT) projects contribute to organizational transformation and business growth. Despite the contribution of project management methodologies and structures, the share of unsuccessful IT projects remains high; thus, the study of critical success factors of IT projects remains an important problem for researchers and practitioners [1]. An analysis of the success of IT projects shows that 17% of projects are completed so unsuccessfully that they can threaten the state of the entire company as a whole. 45% of projects go beyond the budget. 56% of projects bring less profit than expected. 109 million dollars - average losses for every 1 billion dollars spent on projects [2]. The working conditions of the Information Technology department presuppose the existence of an effectively organized project work process. The success of the tasks depends largely on the distribution of the load between the members of the project team. The correct allocation of labor resources determines the timing and quality of project implementation.

Critical Success Factors in Information Technology Projects

This study focuses on discovering the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) of the implementation of Information Technology (IT) or Information System (IS) related projects as the enablers to many organizational transformations. The core method for developing the CSFs is through Systematic Literature Review (SLR) for compiling past research related to CSFs to come up with a set of CSFs (as independent variables) to achieve IT/IS project success. As a result, five independent variables, namely, Leadership/Project Management; Effective Organization Communication; Project Team Capability/Competence; Methodology, Tools, and Techniques; and Project Documentation emerged and were processed further through the Likert survey method from 132 respondents of IT system implementers in Southeast Asian settings, particularly Indonesia, to study the possible relationship the variables might have toward IT Project Success as the dependent variable. The study's findings revealed that Effective Organization Communication, Project Team Capability/Competence, and Methodology, Tools, and Techniques have a significant relationship with IT Project Success, whereas Leadership/Project Management and Project Documentation are insignificant.

Selecting information systems development models based on organizational culture: an integrated approach of DEMATEL and ANP

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the effects of organizational culture factors on the selection of software process development models and develops a conceptual model for selecting and adopting process development models with an organizational culture approach, using 12 criteria and their sub-criteria defined in Fey and Denison’s model (12 criteria).Design/methodology/approachThe research hypotheses were investigated using statistical analysis, and then the criteria and sub-criteria were selected based on Fey and Denison’s model and the experts’ viewpoints. Afterward, the organizational culture of the selected company was measured using the data from 2016 and 2017, based on Fey and Denison’s questionnaire. Due to the correlation between the criteria, using the decision-making trial and evaluation technique, the correlation between sub-criteria were determined, and by analytical network process method and using Super-Decision software, the process development model was preferred to the 12 common models in information systems development.FindingsResults indicated a significant and positive effect of organizational culture factors (except the core values factor) on the selection of development models. Also, by changing the value of organizational culture, the selected process development model changed either. Sensitivity analysis performed on the sub-criteria implied that by changing and improving some sub-criteria, the organization will be ready and willing to use the agile or risk-based models such as spiral and win-win models. Concerning units where the mentioned indicators were at moderate and low limits, models such as waterfall, V-shaped and incremental worked more appropriately.Originality/valueWhile many studies were performed in comparing development models and investigating their strengths and weaknesses, and the impact of organizational culture on the success of information technology projects, literature indicated that the impact of organizational sub-culture prevailing in the selection of development process models has not been investigated. In this study, new factors and indicators were addressed affecting the selection of development models with a focus on organizational culture. Correlation among the factors and indicators was also investigated and, finally, a conceptual model was proposed for proper adoption of the models and methodologies of system development.

The pivotal factors of IT projects' success – Insights for the case of organizations from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

This research aims to investigate the circumstances and possible reasons for a very high and rather unexpected success rate of Information Technology (IT) projects implemented in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (F BiH). For that purpose, the existing literature was reviewed thoroughly, and appropriate research design was formulated. In order to answer the research questions posed, a questionnaire was developed and sent to 400 companies in the F BiH that meet the defined business profile, yielding 62 valid responses. For the purpose of data analysis, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was employed. The obtained results show that keeping the project size small significantly increases the odds for achieving IT project success, regardless of the organizational maturity level in project management. In addition, the higher the organizational maturity level in project management, the higher IT projects success ratio. Results also revealed that the differences between IT projects’ success ratio of different groups of organizations are primarily induced by the time and costs project constraints, but not with the project scope.

Proposing Knowledge Sharing as a Mediator Between Positive Gossip and Success of IT Projects

Using evolutionary perspective of gossip and knowledge-based view, the study proposes knowledge sharing behaviour as the underlying mechanism that helps in establishing the relationship between positive workplace gossip and success of IT projects. The study used multi-source and multi-layered data collection technique; data were collected from 304 employees working in information technology (IT) projects within Pakistan. The study used peer reports for knowledge sharing behaviour, while gossip and project success were self-reported. Results of the study show that positive workplace gossip has a positive relation with project success. The study also found support of partial mediation of knowledge sharing behaviour between positive workplace gossip and project success. These results have crucial implications for policy makers and project managers of IT projects. The findings reveal the importance of informal social networks of project team members towards project success. Managers shall device such mechanisms that allow for propagation of informal networks and knowledge sharing. Keywords Critical Success Factors, Information Technology Projects, Knowledge Sharing Behaviour, Positive Workplace Gossip, Project Success.

Collective Mindfulness and Processes of Sensemaking in Health IT Implementation.

High reliability organisations operate safely in situations of high risk by organising for collective mindfulness. They do so through five ongoing processes geared towards anticipating, containing, and making sense of the unexpected. The five processes are: preoccupation with failure, reluctance to simplify interpretations, sensitivity to operations, commitment to resilience, and deference to expertise. The theory of collective mindfulness builds on Hutchins's theory of distributed cognition (the 'collective mind' of ship navigation teams) and on Langer's theory of mindfulness about individuals' interpreting information in context. However, in the theory of collective mindfulness, attention is paid not to individual cognition or decision making, but to collective processes of sensemaking emerging from individuals' interactions in dealing with an equivocal environment. In health informatics, the theory of collective mindfulness can be used to explain health information technology (IT) development and implementation, across its life cycle, and inform guidance towards mindful management of IT projects. For example, applied to a case of electronic health record implementation in a hospital context, the theory explains how mindful management of the sense-making challenges of post-roll out adaptation processes contributes to a 'successful' IT project. Further, the theory challenges a static and linear understanding of success (or failure) of health IT initiatives, supporting instead an argument for outcomes - be it reliability and safety, or IT project success - as collective, complex and dynamic achievements of mindful organising practices.

The social representation of success in IT projects

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to unveil the perception of information technology (IT) professionals in Brazil regarding the success of IT projects. Design/methodology/approach By using the social representation theory and the words evocation technique, data were collected from IT professionals in Brazil, being subsequently processed so as to identify the central nucleus of the social representation of the success of IT projects for IT professionals in Brazil. Findings IT professionals in Brazil perceive the central core of the social representation of the success of IT projects as formed by “satisfaction” and “scope.” Furthermore, while a considerable amount of IT professionals in Brazil still consider cost, quality and time as relevant factors for the success of IT projects, they do not consider them the most important factors. Moreover, these professionals overlook the financial dimension of the success of IT projects. Research limitations/implications Errors of inference may have been made during the categorization of the words evoked. Furthermore, the sample adopted refers exclusively to IT professionals in Brazil, which limits the universality of the work. Practical implications Organizations and project management associations must take into account the utmost importance of customer satisfaction for the success of IT projects. Besides, these associations must develop IT project success criteria that account for the financial, business and strategic impact of the success of IT projects in organizations. Originality/value IT project success is perceived by IT professionals in Brazil merely from the adherence to scope and customer satisfaction dimensions, leaving aside the importance of project profitability and the strategic impacts of same in the performance of organizations, as well as their future.

Effects of Risk Management Practices on IT Project Success

AbstractSuccessful management of an information technology (IT) project is the most desirable for all organisations and stakeholders. Many researchers elaborated that risk management is a key part of project management for any project size. Risk management is so critical because it provides project managers with a forward-looking view of both threats and opportunities to improve the project success. The objectives of this research are to explore organisational factors affecting IT project success and risk management practices influencing IT project success. Risk management practices include risk identification, risk analysis, risk response planning, and risk monitoring and control. The IT project success is measured by process performance and product performance. Data are collected from 200 project managers, IT managers, and IT analysts in IT firms through questionnaires and analysed using Independent Sample t-test, One-way ANOVA, and Multiple Linear Regression at the statistical significance level of 0.05. The results show that the differences in organisational types affect IT project success in all aspects, while the differences on organisational sizes affect IT project success in the aspect of product performance and total aspects. Risk identification and risk response planning influence the process performance and the total aspects of IT project success. Risk identification has the highest positive influence on product performance, followed closely by risk response, while risk analysis negatively influences product performance.

A new way of thinking about IT project management practices: Early empirical results

ABSTRACTDespite decades of efforts to improve the management of Information Technology (IT) projects, failure rates remain high. This article first reviews literature about information systems success and IT project success. Most of the improvement efforts have focused on advancing variations of the traditional project management paradigm, such as embodied by the Project Management Body of Knowledge. This article describes a new way of thinking about managing IT project called Value-Driven Change Leadership (VDCL), and reports the results of an initial empirical exploration to identify project success factors stemming from VDCL as well as the traditional paradigm. The results are based on data collected from 16 medium-sized IT-intensive projects at eight Chicago-based organizations from six different industries. The results, although not based on a large sample, point to several project management practices associated with project success that stem from both the traditional paradigm as well as VDCL. For example, traditional practices managing stakeholders’ expectations, scope, and schedule are associated with project success, as are practices stemming from VDCL, such as managing the end-product’s architecture, business value added, and the organization change associated with systems implementation. The results of this study also suggest that further research into new ways of thinking about IT project management may be fruitful.

Risk Management in Information Technology Project: An Empirical Study

The companies are facing some risks due to changes in a dynamic environment. If risks are not managed properly, it will have some negative impacts on the companies at the present and the future. One important function of the Information Technology (IT) governance is risk management. Risk management in IT project aims to provide a safe environment for IT projects undertaken. Risk management becomes an important process for the success of IT projects. This article discussed the risk of IT project and whether there was a relationship between risk management and the success of the project. The method used was performing a literature review of several scientific articles which published between 2010 and 2014. The results of this study are the presence of risk management and risk manager influence the success of the project. Risk analysis and risk monitoring and control also have a relationship with the subjective performance of IT projects. If risk management is applied properly, the chance of the success of the projects undertaken can be increased.

Risk management in IT projects – a case of the South African public sector

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the recognition, application and understanding (status) of risk management in information technology (IT) projects in the South African public sector and thus contribute to the research gap. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative approach in the form of a survey design was adopted, with data being collected through a questionnaire. The results from the study are compared to the theory and practice of risk management before drawing conclusions on the status of risk management in IT projects. Findings – The findings provide significant statistical support for the conclusion that risk management is being applied in current IT projects and that it is understood by the respective project clients. Research limitations/implications – Though risk management has been studied by several authors, very little is known about its status in the South African public sector. This study sheds light on its application in IT projects and its understanding by IT project clients. Practical implications – The study findings encourage project executives to develop knowledge bases for risk management in IT projects, as well as the corresponding tools. This will ultimately assist in knowledge sharing, which increases chances of IT project success. Importantly, the study also highlights that the relationship between project clients and project teams can be accelerated through knowledge sharing and continuous project communication. Originality/value – The research addresses one of the questions held by many scholars on the status of risk management in IT projects. It advances the recognition of risk management as a knowledge base and the practical implications thereof.

How Can Agile Methodologies Be Used to Enhance the Success of Information Technology Projects?

Dynamic and unpredictable business environments in the information technology (IT) sector have led to a rapid growth of agile methodologies. Organizations claim that using agile methodologies can enhance the success of IT projects in such environments. However, fluctuating patterns of successful and failed agile IT projects recently raise a question about a path to successful IT projects using agile methodologies. The purpose of this research is to examine agile driven factors and relationships between them and IT project success. Data collected from a pilot survey of agile practitioners were used to confirm important agile driven factors: Agile Team Capability, IT Development Agility, and Agile Culture. The research also tested a structural model that examined indirect impacts of IT development agility and agile culture on project success via a mediation of agile team capability. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

The impact of relational norms on information technology project success and its moderation through project governance

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to identify the impact of relational norms on project success in different project governance contexts.Design/methodology/approach– A worldwide web-based questionnaire yielded 200 responses. Results from regression analyses supported the hypothesis that relational norms impact project success. Hierarchical regression analyses showed the moderating effect of governance and control on the relationship between relational norms and project success.Findings– Relational norms in the buyer-supplier relationship are positively associated with project success. This relationship is moderated by the strictness of project governance, especially the level of flexibility left to the project manager. Lower levels of managerial flexibility are detrimental to project success in cases of weak relational norms and supportive of project success in cases of high relational norms.Research limitations/implications– Academic implications stem from the indication that control has a low influence on the relationship between relational norms and project success, but that the level of managerial flexibility ultimately influences the choice of relational norms needed for a project to be successful.Practical implications– Clear organizational structures and methodologies are supportive of project success in cases of good relational norms. Therefore, project management training should focus on the relationship building capabilities of project managers, to leverage investments in existing methods and organizational structures.Originality/value– The paper extends the insights of the importance of soft aspects in managing projects across organizational borders and different governance structures.

How environment risks moderate the effect of control on performance in information technology projects: Perspectives of project managers and user liaisons

Successful management of information technology (IT) projects is a primary concern of project managers (PMs) and user liaisons (ULs). Prior studies have indicated that high risks result in low performance in IT projects, whereas effective enforcement of formal and informal controls enhances performance. These two streams have been integrated by examining the interactions between environment risks and control. However, contradictory findings have been presented given that environment risks can positively or negatively moderate the effect of control on performance. Furthermore, the collective effects of environment risks and controls across different stakeholders remain unknown. Quantitative analysis of data from 128 completed IT projects in China indicates that internal environment risk negatively moderates the effect of formal and informal controls on the product performance of IT projects from the perspectives of PMs and ULs. By contrast, external environment risk positively moderates the effectiveness of controls, thereby indicating the significant and diverse moderating roles of various environment risks in the relationship of control and performance. Environment risks can be threats to or facilitators of the success of IT projects. In addition, external environment risk moderates the effect of formal control on product performance for ULs more than internal environment risk, whereas the moderating effect of internal environment risk for PMs is stronger than that of external environment risk. This finding provides additional evidence that the moderating effects of internal and external environment risks differ among various stakeholders.

A Generic Quality Assurance Model (GQAM) for successful e-health implementation in rural hospitals in South Africa.

Although e-health can potentially facilitate the management of scarce resources and improve the quality of healthcare services, implementation of e-health programs continues to fail or not fulfil expectations. A key contributor to the failure of e-health implementation in rural hospitals is poor quality management of projects. Based on a survey 35 participants from five rural hospitals in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, and using a qualitative case study research methodology, this article attempted to answer the question: does the adoption of quality assurance (QA) models add value and help to ensure success of information technology projects, especially in rural health settings? The study identified several weaknesses in the application of QA in these hospitals; however, findings also showed that the QA methods used, in spite of not being formally applied in a standardised manner, did nonetheless contribute to the success of some projects. The authors outline a generic quality assurance model (GQAM), developed to enhance the potential for successful acquisition of e-health solutions in rural hospitals, in order to improve the quality of care and service delivery in these hospitals.