Project Management Maturity Research Articles

Project Management Maturity in Polish Non-profit Organisations

This article addresses the issue of project maturity in non-profit organisations, where project activities are the basis of operations and fulfil an important social role. This is a topic that has not yet been sufficiently researched. The presented research area is interesting for the management practices of non-profit organisations, and fits into the stream of research on the effectiveness of project implementation. It responds to the current needs of increasing professionalism in project management in non-profit organisations, which translates into more effective implementation of projects and the satisfaction of beneficiaries. It was noted that project maturity surveys can be an important source of information about non-profit organisations, and that gaining knowledge about project maturity can be seen as the beginning of a process to improve the organisation of project management. The conclusions drawn are based on a survey of a sample of 93 non-profit organisations operating in Poland.

Project Management Maturity and Business Excellence in the Context of Industry 4.0

Even though Industry 4.0 is primarily focused on the implementation of advanced digital technologies, this is not the only aspect that should be considered. One of the aspects that calls for attention is the ability to create a sustainable and agile industrial environment. In this sense, the role of project management is crucial for achieving business excellence in a new industrial paradigm. The main goal of this paper was to determine the impact of different levels of project management maturity on business excellence in the context of Industry 4.0. The research in the paper was made using a sample of 124 organizations, differing in industry type and size, and recognized through the business excellence awards or recognitions given by European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). Using the Project Management Maturity Model (ProMMM), a significant connection was found between project management maturity and business excellence. Considering technology advances, these relationships were further examined in the context of Industry 4.0. Empirically based conclusions were drawn, which contribute to the literature on project management and business excellence in the context of Industry 4.0. Practitioners can implement them for more effective project management with the intention of bringing excellence into the organization’s operations and results. Additionally, they can be useful to help organizations better cope with changing technology trends.

An exploratory investigation on the determinants of successful collaborative projects in the Malaysian construction industry

Background: Project management is a critical business discipline for an organization to create a competitive edge as well as a prominent tool to delivering successful projects. The changes in the current societal, environmental, economic, and technological horizons prompt a more collaborative engagement in managing projects. Therefore, the traditionally accepted ways of managing projects need to be revisited. Methods: This research employs an empirical approach to identify the determinants of successful collaborative project management in the construction industry. The exploratory stage of this research aims to identify the variables of collaborative projects and to understand the relationships among the variables. The research uses qualitative methods to understand factors of project success by conducting interviews with project practitioners in the construction industry. Data from the interviews was transcribed word-by-word and the content was analyzed manually using a thematic content analysis. Results: The findings show that project management maturity, decision-making process, knowledge management, and coordination can contribute to the success of managing a collaborative project. Conclusions: The results of the study can be applied in managing a construction project. It also contributes to the body of knowledge regarding project management.

Organizational Aspects and Practices for Enhancing Organizational Project Management Maturity

An organization’s performance in a project is determined by its ability to implement project management knowledge and practices. This ability reflects the organization’s level of project management maturity (PMM). PMM is premised on the belief that the higher the PMM level, the higher the ability to successfully deliver a project. With this in mind, the current paper aims to determine the type of organizational aspects and practices that could influence the success of PMM implementation in organizations. For this purpose, a systematic literature review (SLR) was performed on 23 articles published between 2011 and 2021 that studied PMM. The findings showed that most articles stressed organizational culture and integration with strategic organizational initiatives. Among all the studied industries, the information technology industry stood out. Content analysis was used for analyzing data, which were thematized using ATLAS.ti. Ten sub-themes emerged, with six sub-themes under organizational aspects and four sub-themes under organizational practices. These sub-themes, which were intertwined with the implementation and growth of PMM in organizations, positively impact project delivery performance. Based on this, several future research opportunities were proposed.

Will knowledge infrastructure capabilities elevate the project management maturity? An empirical study

PurposeThe factors for higher education institutions’ (HEIs) project management failure have been studied for several years. One of the issues is a lack of tools to combine their knowledge infrastructure capabilities (KIC) with project management (PM) to examine these infrastructures and monitor maturity. There are several project management maturity (PMM) models available. However, there are just a few empirical studies that support the three knowledge infrastructure capabilities and PMM integrations. As a result, the current research aims to suggest a new conceptual model, KIC-knowledge management (KM), and assess a research model that includes the three knowledge infrastructure capabilities as a prerequisite to elevate the PMM.Design/methodology/approachPartial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is used to evaluate the proposed research model. The study’s hypotheses were also examined using a sample of 352 respondents from PM departments at ten Yemeni public universities.FindingsThe study found that if the three key knowledge infrastructure capabilities integrate into the PMs, then it will help HEIs to perform project tasks more effectively and efficiently. Also, it will improve the PM maturity level if all the three capabilities positively effect PMM.Research limitations/implicationsThe study findings cannot be generalized to other industries because the collected date were with the Yemeni public universities’ context. Also, the new proposed model can be assessed in various sectors to increase the validity of the model. One more thing, future academics can conduct qualitative research study to validate again the proposed model.Practical implicationsProject managers can develop and improve their organization’s effectiveness and performance by focusing on these findings and using the developed model. Also, the findings of this study can be used as a benchmark for evaluating initiatives and knowledge-based governmental entities.Social implicationsIt is an opportunity for knowledge-based governmental entities particularly and other organizations to elevate most of projects to achieve a supreme level of maturity. Also, this study will assist employees to understand the relationship between KICs and projects within HEIs in Yemen.Originality/valueThis paper is among the first to empirically study the impact of the three knowledge infrastructure capabilities toward PMM. It links between two important domains: KM and PM.

An extension of the technology acceptance model for business intelligence systems: project management maturity perspective

Business intelligence systems (BISs) refer to a wide range of technologies and applications useful for retrieving and analyzing a large amount of information with the goal to generate knowledge useful for making effective business decision. In order to investigate adoption of BISs in companies, we propose a model based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) that is expanded by variables representing the concept of a project management maturity (PMM). The survey on the sample of USA companies has been conducted with the chief information officer (CIO) as the main informant. A structural equation model has been developed in order to test the research model. Results indicate that TAM expanded with the notion of PMM is useful in increasing understanding of BISs adoption in companies.

Project Management Office (PMO)

A Project Management Office (PMO) is one entity that can be used to deliver products and services to internal and external customers by using projects and project management tools and techniques. This study aims to provide an account of how to use a project to make recommendations about how to implement a Project Management Office (PMO). A case study example is used to demonstrate how an IT international company used the OPM3 (Organizational Project Management Maturity Model) approach to: (a) acquire knowledge; (b) perform assessment; and (c) managing improvements. The authors include a discussion about specific PMO implementation steps as compared to the challenges from previous implementations and thoughts about how the PMO after implementation provides value to the organization as well as value to the project human resources. Finally, the authors conclude the paper with thoughts related to the contributions of this study and the associated limitations and applicability to other implementations.

Project management maturity in the biotechnology industry

This paper contributes to the development of project management in companies that integrate biotechnology in their processes, given the increasing importance of this sector under the current context. The main goal is to assess project management maturity in a sample of companies that involve biotechnology processes, identifying their main weaknesses and strengths in project management. A quantitative approach was applied by analyzing the data collected through a questionnaire structured with the K-PMMM Level 2.This work allowed to diagnose 96 companies of this emerging sector, still scarcely studied as concerns project management. All participating companies recognized the importance of project management, however there are still several steps to consolidate the evaluated project management practices, once only about 12,5% reached the whole five life cycle phases of project management maturity.The originality of this work relies on the structure of the data analysis that allowed to highlight the multidimensional and simultaneous perspective of the project management maturity process. That is, a process that recognizing the need and added value of project management, implementing methodologies and tools, and having the executive and line management support. These factors must be taken care of in parallel to evolve the organization´s capacities to manage its projects consistently and long term. The study revealed that part of the participating companies meets this simultaneous multidimensional approach, although still very incompletely.

Addressing the Challenges to Successfully Manage University-Industry R&D Collaborations

University-industry R&D collaborations (UICs) are becoming more critical for discovering innovations that can lead to the development of new products, services, and processes and, more broadly, social impact in terms of employment, economic development, and public health. The Covid-19 pandemic, for example, has seen an unprecedented rise in UICs and illustrates how vital their success can be for positively impacting the collaborators involved and society at large. Several challenges face the successful execution of UICs, not the least of which is the cultural difference between the collaborators. Overcoming these challenges is the subject of several research initiatives that seek to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) that UIC consortiums can use to develop their internal capabilities and project management maturity. The challenges facing one large UIC have been studied in Portugal. Practitioners and researchers were involved in generating insights into how the UIC could be more effective. This paper presents some of these challenges facing the UIC and how they were addressed. It also offers early results into the CSFs deemed essential by researchers and practitioners based on their experience together over seven years. Top CSFs include senior management commitment, effective communication, stakeholder engagement, good leadership, clear and realistic goals, mutual trust and respect, interpersonal teamwork, and clear roles and responsibilities.

FLEXIBLE METHODS OF COMPANY AUDIT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The article highlights the peculiarities of the project management process of an audit of an enterprise based on a flexible Agile approach. On the basis of the conducted research, the advantages that can be obtained by the subjects of audit activity when using the Agile approach to the audit project were revealed. Identified the changes that need to be made in the key concepts of the audit during the implementation of flexible Agile technology during the audit. Based on the experience of the subjects of audit activity, who apply a flexible Agile approach during the audit, its advantages in the conditions of martial law are highlighted. It is emphasized that in the conditions of martial law, it is necessary to conduct audits, which must take into account the high level of risk in a timely and adequate manner, and the most optimal in such a situation will be the application of a flexible Agile approach. A number of specific audit areas have been identified that are best suited to the application of a flexible Agile approach: monitoring of critical controls; change programs; internal audit taking into account data analysis; disaster recovery and business continuity. Recommendations were given to specialists who are participants in the audit project on the practice of applying a flexible Agile approach in order to monitor and control, identify key risks, identify and coordinate critical controls, and implement a continuity procedure to ensure the continuous work of audit entities. To improve the quality and one of the possibilities of preventing the risks of project implementation for enterprises that provide audit services, it is proposed to calculate the coefficient of assessment of the level of strategic maturity of project management at the enterprise.

Project Management Processes – Impact on the Success of Information Systems Projects

Purpose: Few studies in the literature address the success of enterprise Information Systems (IS) projects, namely focusing on how success is influenced by project management practices. This research studied the impact of ISO 21500/PMBOK processes on the success of IS projects, aiming to contribute to a better understanding of management practices importance in the context of this type of projects. Design/methodology/approach: An international survey was used to collect data, which was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings: The results show higher levels of success than usually reported in the literature. Furthermore, this research shows that overall success is strongly influenced by ISO/PMBOK project management processes, thus reinforcing the relevance of competent project management to improve the results of IS projects. Originality: Focusing on the specific case of IS projects, this study shows that higher levels of success are achieved by organizations with higher project management maturity.

Управління проєктами: стан та перспективи розвитку підприємства

Trends in the theory and practice of project management over the past seven decades and prospects for the future have been studied. An analysis of the project management practice was carried out at SE “Industrial Association “Karpaty”. It was established that the project practice of the enterprise is usually quite chaotic, unsystematic in nature and lacks clear methodological foundations of modern project management. The current level of maturity of the project management system of the enterprise under study was identified, which corresponds to the second level, namely the formation of the system. According to the results of the analysis of the strategic potential, it was concluded that SE “Industrial Association “Karpaty” currently has an average level of development potential (a powerful material and technical base, the use of modern technologies, a high culture of production and product quality, the export orientation of the company's projects). It was noted that passive potential reserves need to be activated for the successful implementation of enterprise development projects, which are prioritized in these difficult conditions and in the future. Recommendations have been developed to increase the maturity level of the project management system based on the Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3) as a global standard for organizational project management.

A maturity model for assessing sustainable project management knowledge areas: A case study within a logistics firm

Currently, the use of maturity models is widespread for evaluating the success of project management (PM) processes. Project management maturity models (PMMM) are valuable methodologies to improve the project management processes. In this context, this present paper seeks an answer to these questions: Which maturity levels are aimed for an organization to make the sustainable PM sound? Which propositions are made based on the obtained maturity levels? This paper aims to propose a PMMM by analysing PM knowledge areas. In response to this objective, nine dimensions and twenty seven maturity items are handled using of PM Solutions’ PMMM. In order to evaluate the maturity levels, Weighted Maturity Score Calculation Model (WMSC) approach based on survey questionnaires of two experts is used first for the PM knowledge areas. Weighted average score of all maturity items is obtained using Likert-scale and criteria weights are first calculated using Hesitant Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (HF-AHP). Practicality of these approaches is illustrated through a real data in a logistics organization. As a result, computational results indicate that risk management dimension with the level 1,4 has the lowest rating of all nine dimensions. The high maturity level 3,5 is observed in the quality management, as the maturity items in this dimension such as Quality Plan Preparation and Quality Plan Employment can have a favourable impact on the PM maturity. The findings reveal the effectiveness of the proposed method, which ensures practical and theoretical insights for organizations to determine their current and expected sustainable project maturity levels.

Development of project management practice in hotels of Kazakhstan

Project management is not only a tool for achieving business goals, but also a mechanism for strategic development of the company. This is due to the fact, that the achievement of strategic goals in any area is directly related to the effective implementation of individual projects. In the framework of the study, the development of project management practices in the hotel business is evaluated using the project management maturity model. It is revealed that the use of project management practices in Kazakhstan hotels lags behind hotels of international chains.

Project Management Maturity Models for Construction Firms

This paper aims to identify and analyze project management maturity models in order to identify those best suited to be adopted in construction firms. To do so, models from papers available in academic repositories were analyzed. To be successful, the construction business deeply depends on projects outcomes; thus, the implementation of project management maturity models is important for this sector. A maturity model is a valuable technique to assess project management capabilities within a single part of an organization or to assess an organization as a whole. Its main purpose is to provide a means to create a more organized and predictable way for organizations to achieve their goals, increasing their chances of success regarding the outputs, outcomes, and benefits. In this paper, documentary research was performed to identify available project management maturity models and togather information about their performance. The information gathered was used to find elements to be compared with the identified models. Reviewing the literature, 39 project management maturity models were identified. The authors selected two PMMMs that were well fitted to assess the project management capabilities in construction firms: OPM3 and MMGP Prado.

Project Management in the Biotech Context: Exploring the Interrelation between Maturity and Sustainable Project Management

Biotechnology is an emerging and increasingly important sector in the current context. As the number of biotech projects grows, so does the need to establish processes to improve project management effectiveness and project success, including assessing their impacts (positive and negative) on the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs). This broader approach opens the door to developing a new project management (PM) paradigm designated by sustainable project management (SPM). However, there is a need for more empirical studies to understand how sustainability can be integrated into project management. This research is based on the proposition that PM maturity could lead to incorporating sustainability in PM. No research studies are reported in the literature exploring this interrelationship between maturity and sustainable project management; such is this study’s purpose and originality. The study applies Kerzner’s Level 3 PM maturity model on a sample of 96 biotech companies in Portugal through a questionnaire that addressed project managers and team members. The findings suggest that the process of integrating sustainability into PM should follow these steps: (1) perform an early PM maturity diagnosis to identify the company’s most and least dominated areas; (2) identify the strengths and weaknesses that impact the integration of sustainability into project management practices; (3) develop a customized and adjusted action plan to integrate sustainability in PM. The study’s main contribution relies on understanding how sustainability can be integrated into project management, explaining the role of maturity assessment in this process. In addition, it characterizes the biotech industry projects concerning the linkage between PM maturity and sustainability and provides recommendations that may contribute to the companies’ development towards sustainable project management.

Portfolios, programs, and projects in strategic marine-fisheries sustainability and blue growth: a case study in Indonesia

The purpose of the study was to design the development of creative and sustainable solutions to critical problems of marine and fisheries through Portfolio, Programme and Project Management Maturity Model (P3M3) in order to execute strategic marine-fisheries sustainability and blue growth: a case study in Indonesia. This model can help marine-fisheries businesses deconstruct the problems of existing industries and create a new (innovative) policy based on the alignment of macro level (portfolio management), meso level (programme management) and micro level (project management) by providing superior value of Triple Bottom Line (economic-social-deep ecological environment) to the stakeholders and the generations for today and future forevermore.

Impact of Project Management Maturity on Service Delivery of Rural Electrification Project in Bugesera District, Rwanda

Impact of Project Management Maturity on Service Delivery of Rural Electrification Project in Bugesera District, Rwanda

Assessment of knowledge process capabilities toward project management maturity: an empirical study

PurposeThe reasons behind the project management failure of higher education institutions (HEIs) have been researched for the past few years. One of the reasons is the lack of tools to integrate their knowledge process capabilities (KPC) with their project management (PM) to measure maturity by assessing these capabilities. Various project management maturity (PMM) models exist. Yet, there is a limited number of empirical studies that support the four integrations of KPC and PMM. Therefore, this study aims to propose a new heretical model, namely, KPC-knowledge management (KM) and evaluates a research model that includes the four KPC as an antecedent to PMM.Design/methodology/approachThe suggested research model is assessed by using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Furthermore, the study's hypotheses were examined based on a sample of 352 respondents from the project management departments in 10 public universities in Yemen.FindingsAnalysis revealed that the derived PMM status could be benchmarked with the project management maturity model. Also, the study found that integrating the KPC into PM enables the institutions to perform critical tasks and value chain activities and enhance the PM maturity level as well. In contrast, if one of the capabilities does not positively impact PMM, it affects the maturity level of the entire project.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are obtained concerning data collected from public universities and represent the Yemeni context, limiting the generalization on a different geographical area. Also, this proposed model can be evaluated in a practical way like conducting a focus group, a set of interviews with specialists, a case study or action research. The qualitative research will help academics to validate our proposal for future research purposes.Practical implicationsThe proposed approach may be adapted to the characteristics of organizations involved in projects as external performers (project-based organizations) and not just the HEIs projects. This study provides managers and policymakers with insights into assessing PMM and improving their organizational effectiveness when deciding which KPCs to focus on in the future.Social implicationsThis study contributes to the current PM awareness in Yemen and facilitates its success using the knowledge processes capabilities in Yemen's HEIs. It encourages organizations to take this opportunity to revive the projects and achieve a maximum level of maturity.Originality/valueThis study provides new insights into two domains through the link between knowledge management and PM. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is among the first to empirically study the impact of the four KPC toward PMM. It enriches the theoretical perspective of PM. Also, it contributes to the literature on the success factor of KPC, which can be considered to improve organizational performance.

Determinants of project management success: view from an emerging economy

PurposeAchieving project success is the goal of every project. Due to various project requirements, some of the key determinants of project success cannot be met. The purpose of this paper is to understand relying factors that can lead to a successful project that includes project management maturity, decision-making, coordination and knowledge management.Design/methodology/approachA self-administered survey was distributed to 231 project managers in the Malaysian project management community. Analysis using partial least square structural equation modelling was applied in testing the proposed relationship between these latent variables.FindingsFinding shows that all the hypotheses were supported and significant. The most impactful factor is project management maturity, followed by knowledge management.Practical implicationsImplication to the project management industry includes providing autonomy to individuals involved in their expertise and management of efficient cross-functional teams between teams in the project. A systematic knowledge management system through a central repository would contribute to the efficient and flexible distribution of knowledge throughout the project process.Originality/valueThis study is one of the few studies focussing on determinants of project success in Malaysia.