Project Stakeholder Management Research Articles

Project Stakeholder Management

Project Stakeholder Management

Project Stakeholder Management

Project Stakeholder Management

Framework for Stakeholder Management in Construction Projects

AbstractThis paper presents a systematic and generic framework reference for the practice of stakeholder management in the construction industry. It contains findings from empirical studies, comprising six interviews, a pilot study, a questionnaire survey in Hong Kong, and 15 interviews in Australia. Six activity groups (i.e., precondition, project data identification, stakeholder estimation, decision making, action and evaluation, and sustainable support) and a total of 18 activities within these groups and their interrelations formulate the main body of the framework. The proposed framework was validated by five real-life projects, the results of which confirm the applicability of the proposed framework. This study serves as a reference for project-management teams to systematically manage stakeholders in construction projects.

Atrasos em projetos de TI causados por falhas na gestão dos stakeholders

A Tecnologia da Informação (TI) tem passado por mudanças profundas e rápidas nas últimas décadas. Nesse contexto, as organizações devem estar preparadas para implementar, sob a forma de projetos, essas tecnologias da maneira mais rápida e efetiva possível, apresentando resultados antes dos de seus concorrentes. Portanto, pode-se notar que a entrega de um projeto no prazo cada vez mais curto é essencial. Considerando tais observações, o propósito principal deste estudo é o de explorar como falhas na gestão dos stakeholders de projetos de TI podem impactar, direta ou indiretamente, os prazos finais desses projetos. A pesquisa empírica realizada, de natureza qualitativa, é do tipo exploratória e contou com a participação de gerentes de projetos de TI e de gestores de gerentes de projetos de TI, os quais responderam a uma entrevista semiestruturada e forneceram documentos de apoio à pesquisa. As transcrições das entrevistas, assim como os documentos fornecidos, foram utilizadas para a análise de conteúdo dos dados. Como resultado final, as principais falhas na gestão dos stakeholders que podem prejudicar – em sua maioria, indiretamente – a entrega pontual dos projetos de TI são identificadas e exploradas.

Atrasos em Projetos de TI Causados por Falhas na Gestão dos Stakeholders

The Information Technology (IT) has undergone profound and rapid changes in recent decades. In this context, organizations must be prepared to implement these technologies, on the form of projects, as quickly and effectively as possible, providing results before its competitors. Therefore, it can be noted that the delivery of a project on time, ever shorter, is essential. Considering these observations, the main purpose of this study is to explore how failures in IT project stakeholder management may impact, directly or indirectly, the deadlines of these projects. The empirical research, qualitative in nature, is of the exploratory type and counted with the participation of IT project managers and managers of IT project managers, who answered a semi structured interview and provided documents in support of the research. The transcripts of the interviews as well as the provided documents were used for the analysis of data content. As a final result of this study, the main failures in the stakeholder management that may compromise – mostly indirectly – the timely delivery of IT projects are identified and explored.

De-marginalising the public in PPP projects through multi-stakeholders management

Purpose– The research reported in this paper takes a critical look at the process of multi-stakeholder consultation and management in a PPP project environment, to fill the gaps in the existing literature. It considers the various problems encountered on PPP initiatives around the world that have led to public opposition and failure of some PPP projects. Two interconnected aspects are tackled: definition of the principal project stakeholder and the management of the principal project stakeholder, as a multi-stakeholder. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach– Existing theory and practice of project stakeholder management is analysed through case studies and other sources, and the uniqueness of a PPP project environment, which influences PPP multi-stakeholder management approaches, is established.Findings– Current tensions and public protests across Africa, North and South America, Australia and Europe around PPP projects are highlighted, and these seem to be centred on public stakeholders' marginalisation. It is found that the public outcry across continents is characterised by a marginalised public.Practical implications– Results advocate a paradigm shift by accepting multi-stakeholding as central to PPP project management. A multi-stakeholder management model is proposed, which will move the public from the margins of the PPP project space to the centre where fundamental decisions are made from conception to facility ownership and operation.Originality/value– The study takes a pragmatic approach to the problem of exclusion of the public in PPP projects. It is one of few studies to bring the public to the centre of PPP project processes.

Sustainable development and project stakeholder management: what standards say

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze how various approaches to stakeholder management, as well as sustainable development principles, are included in internationally‐used project management standards; and to consider the demands these approaches and principles place on project stakeholder management.Design/methodology/approachAn analytical framework was developed based on stakeholder theory within general management, as well as on sustainability research. Desk research was carried out by applying the analytical framework to three project management standards: ICB, PMBOK and PRINCE2.FindingsThe research findings suggest that stakeholder issues are treated superficially in the project management standards, while putting stakeholder management in the context of sustainable development would ask for a paradigm shift in the underpinning values. The current project stakeholder practices represent mainly a management‐of‐stakeholders approach, i.e. making stakeholders comply to project needs, whereas a management‐for‐stakeholders approach may be beneficial.Research limitations/implicationsAs the analysis is based on document studies of bodies of knowledge, the authors cannot be sure to what extent the standards represent real‐life practices. However, the standards are developed by practitioners agreeing on common practices. Further, they are used to certify project managers worldwide. Therefore, the authors find it safe to claim that the findings are relevant when discussing project management practices.Originality/valueThe value of this paper lies in the enrichment of the understanding of project stakeholder management by applying concepts from general stakeholder theory and sustainable development research.

Critical features for project stakeholder management: a systematic literature review

Many projects fail to achieve their objectives due to weaknesses in stakeholder management (SM). The lack of formal SM in projects and the weaknesses of the qualitative methods of SM are two important issues that are reported in the literature. The paper presents a critical review of the existing literature, addresses stakeholder notion, and related issues within two different schools of thoughts. It proposes to advocate that the management of stakeholders should improve its position to a formal process, and plays a role that is more accountable and align with the project execution. This paper aims to contribute to SM research by comparing the existing SM frameworks, and suggests what should be developed to improve it in projects. The research proposal is based on the researchers' experience, which is supported by the literature feedback to answer the question relating to what are the features of an effective SM in projects.

Stakeholder collaboration and engagement in virtual projects

Stakeholder management is an important and common practice in any project, as it allows managers to better manage process, performance and risk. In virtual projects, collaboration and engagement with stakeholders is relatively more complex, challenging, and critical for project success. This paper proposes a novel stakeholder engagement process, focused on proactive stakeholder management in virtual projects. The proposed process is described and illustrated on a public sector project case in New Zealand. Using this process, the stakeholders of this project were able to discuss differing views on the project initiative and collaboratively reach mutually agreeable project objectives. The process can be applied by managers to better engage key stakeholders to ensure their intent is effectively communicated at the interpersonal and group levels.

Hierarchical structuring success factors of project stakeholder management in the construction organization

Stakeholder management is essential for project success. Previous studies have explored project stakeholder management process and the success factors while the practice is unsatisfactory. Few have further explored the interrelationships of the success factors, which is obstructive to the in-depth understanding of project stakeholder management. This paper employs interpretative structural modeling (ISM) to develop the hierarchical structure and investigate the interrelationships of these success factors. Moreover, matrice d’impacts croises-multiplication applique a un classemen (MICMAC) analysis is conducted to identify the dependency and driving power of the success factors. ISM, as well as MICMAC analysis, provides a useful tool for practitioners to understand success factors for stakeholder management in construction. This study discovered that 6 factors among 16 factors have a weak dependent power but a strong driving power while 6 factors have a strong dependent power but a weak driving power. Managing stakeholders with social responsibility, keeping and promoting a good relationship, and communicating with and engaging stakeholder properly and frequently have been found to have the highest dependence on the other factors and have been placed on the top level of the hierarchical structure. The results facilitate the managers to gain an in-depth understanding of project stakeholder management and pay due attention to achieve the success. It can also be generalized to provide good references for investigation of success factors for project stakeholder management in other countries. Key words: Stakeholder management, project organization, success factors, interpretative structural modeling (ISM), matrice d’impacts croises-multiplication applique a un classemen (MICMAC) analysis, China.

The impact of stakeholder communication on project outcome

Project management demands exercise of nine knowledge areas; managing project scope, time, cost, quality, HR, stakeholder communication, procurement, risk and integration of all these. From July 2007 to April 2009, this study observes that in the IT industry working in Islamabad, Pakistan, the results of heterogeneous IT projects suffered from problems like scope creep, cost and schedule overrun and lack of customer satisfaction on project results due to inappropriate stakeholder communication management. Focusing on stakeholder communication it was hypothesized that the quality of the stakeholder communication management determines the project outcome. Adopting stratified sampling 70 heterogeneous IT projects from 24 different software houses were selected. Using a reliable instrument, data was about the quality of stakeholder communication invested by the project managers and the consequent results of the IT projects was collected in a cross sectional manner. The data was analyzed using frequency distribution, Pearson correlation and linear regression. The findings confirmed a strong correlation and dependency of project outcome on stakeholder communication. It recommended ensuring good quality stakeholder communication considering it a primary tool for determining the project’s scope, time and cost. The study contributes guidelines and templates to help project managers improve stakeholder communication skills and its documentation respectively. Key words: Project management, project stakeholder management, stakeholder communication, project communication management, information technology (IT) projects communication and management, stakeholder risk management.

Stakeholder Analysis of Agroparks

An agropark is a cluster in which several primary producers and processors cooperate to enhance sustainable agrofood production. Because agroparks represent complex system innovations, this article studies their realisation trajectories from the stakeholder management perspective. By using the case study method, the research confirms that agroparks are system innovations involving many participants, most of them being key stakeholders. The different stakes and power positions, and their impact have been assessed. and managed in line with the realisation process of the agropark. The paper provides first learnings on stakeholder management in agropark projects, which may promote their realisation.

A project lifecycle perspective on stakeholder influence strategies in global projects

Summary Global projects affect and are affected by multiple stakeholders with differing interests and demands. Recently, there has been increased pressure for global projects to be more environmentally and socially responsible. A project creates a dynamic context for stakeholder management and stakeholder behavior because the project moves through different phases during its lifecycle. By adopting a lifecycle perspective on secondary stakeholders’ behavior, we develop a set of propositions that increase our understanding of the potential of secondary stakeholders to influence the project management's decision making during the different phases of the project lifecycle. Ultimately, a better understanding of secondary stakeholders’ influence behavior during the project lifecycle enables the use of more effective project stakeholder management approaches.

IT Project Environment Factors Affecting Requirements Analysis in Service Provisioning for the Greek Banking Sector

The research undertaken within a Greek IT organisation specialising in service provisioning to the Greek banking sector discusses the various aspects of a number of identified environment factors within five distinct IT projects which affect the requirements analysis phase. Project Management (PMBOK® Guide 4th ed.), IT Service Management (ITIL® v3) and Business Analysis (BABOK® Guide 2.0) framework practices applied to the various IT projects are highlighted in regard to improved activity execution. Project issue management, stakeholder management, time management, resources management, communication management and risk management aspects are presented. These are then linked to the identified environment factors so as to indicate the adaptability of an IT support team to changing environment factors in IT project environments and how the fulfilment of these factors can significantly contribute to effective requirements analysis and enhance the requirements management cycle.

Risk correlation analysis for China’s construction projects based on stakeholder theory

The construction industry is subject to more risks than other businesses for its complexity and longevity. As a result, many researchers have emphasized the importance of risk management in construction projects. However, in China, due to the lack of good understanding of project stakeholders, several risks associated with construction projects and their correlation cannot be analyzed effectively. To provide a deeper insight into project stakeholders and risk correlation in construction projects, this paper first reviews the status quo of project stakeholder management in China. And then a project stakeholder network is mapped based on stakeholder theory and features of construction projects in China, and the correlation of project stakeholders’ risks is also analyzed. This paper also develops an analytic hierarchy model for the project owner to analyze the correlation among their own risks and those risks attributed to project stakeholders. Finally an empirical case study is used to demonstrate the application of the proposed model. The research findings in this paper will contribute to both the practice and the research of risk management and stakeholder management in China’s construction industry.

Stakeholder management in IOS projects: analysis of an attempt to implement an electronic patient file

Implementing an inter-organizational system (IOS) requires significant organizational as well as technical changes. These will affect stakeholders (upon whom promoters depend) with varying degrees of power and with varying degrees of interest in the system. Identifying stakeholders and understanding the sources of their attitudes will enable promoters to meet their expectations more fully, and hence encourage acceptance. We examine these issues through a theoretically based study of an attempt to introduce an Electronic Patient File system in The Netherlands. All saw that the system would benefit patients, yet powerful players resisted its implementation, fearing it would affect their interests. This paper develops and tests a model of stakeholder management, showing that those with high interest in the system lacked the power to implement it, while those with low interest had the power to block it. These negative attitudes were shaped by concerns not about the system itself, but about the likely effects on working routines, power, culture and finance. This paper implies that those promoting an IOS (in any sector) should, from the outset of a project, identify their power sources and seek to reconcile stakeholder interests.

A Case Study of Project and Stakeholder Management Failures: Lessons Learned

Stakeholder theory is a useful framework for analyzing the behavioral aspects of the project management process, particularly the complicated process of project management within the Department of Defense (DOD). Projects can be beset by the agenda of various stakeholders within the organizational structure. When this occurs, the implementation of a strong project stakeholder management strategy is necessary to increase the likelihood of success. This is a case study of a failed DOD project, even though it was fully justified and badly needed. Stakeholder theory serves as the theoretical underpinning of this case analysis, which identifies the potential causes of the project failure. Project management lessons learned from the failure and a project stakeholder management strategy framework are presented to facilitate better decision making on the part of project managers to increase the likelihood of successful project management outcomes.

Project Stakeholder Management

Today almost every project takes place in a context where stakeholders play a major role in the accomplishment of the tasks. Often the project is sensitive to actions and decisions taken by the stakeholder. Project stakeholders can include clients, end users, contractors, consultants, labor unions, line organization, public authorities, financial institutions, insurance companies, controlling organizations, media, third parties, and competitors. A survey was conducted among project managers in Norway to collect their views on stakeholder management. First, research results indicate that clients and end users are the most important project stakeholders. Second, collected data show clients, end users, contractors/suppliers, line organization, and public authorities are equal when it comes to causing problems and uncertainty for the project. Third, the findings indicate that more efforts should be made to provide new insights into project stakeholder management. Furthermore, the article describes a formal and systematic project stakeholder management process. This process includes six steps: initial planning, identification, analysis, communication, action, and follow-up. The results from this article can be of use for a project manager in several ways. First of all, we argue that more attention should be paid to the stakeholders. Second, in managing the stakeholders the project manager can follow the process presented here. Third, the survey results can give the project manager an idea of which stakeholders to focus on in order to understand them better.