Towards Improved Project Management Practice: Uncovering the Evidence for Effective Practices Through Empirical Research

Towards Improved Project Management Practice: Uncovering the Evidence for Effective Practices Through Empirical Research

by Terence John Cooke-Davies
Towards Improved Project Management Practice: Uncovering the Evidence for Effective Practices Through Empirical Research

Towards Improved Project Management Practice: Uncovering the Evidence for Effective Practices Through Empirical Research

by Terence John Cooke-Davies

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Overview

Projects are important to industry, but project performance continually disappoints stakeholder expectations. Organizations react to this performance problem in many ways, and purchase consultancy, training, methods and tools as possible solutions. There is no published evidence that any of these solutions are consistently successful in improving project performance. This thesis answers the question, "What can be done to improve project management practices, and thus project performance?" by demonstrating that a novel form of continuous action research can contribute such evidence.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781581121285
Publisher: Dissertation.Com
Publication date: 08/01/2001
Pages: 328
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.73(d)

Table of Contents

1.0Thinking about projects and project management17
1.1Summary17
1.2What projects are and what some key terms mean17
1.3The importance of projects to industry20
1.3.1The conceptual basis to project management21
1.4Project management in its social and economic environment23
1.4.1Projects in a pre- and proto-capitalist society (before c. 1850)24
1.4.2The era of classic capitalism: project management from c. 1850 to c. 195027
1.4.3The era of "managerial capitalism": project management from c. 1950 to the mid-1980s29
1.4.4The era of "intellectual capitalism": project management since the mid-1980s32
1.5Project management today--how industry thinks about projects34
1.5.1How project performance is measured in industry35
1.5.2The need for improvement: why so many projects are seen to fail38
1.6Research questions that this thesis will attempt to answer40
1.7Conclusion40
2.0The worldview of the project manager43
2.1Summary43
2.2Which practices have been correlated to project success and project failure?44
2.2.1Baker, Murphy and Fisher46
2.2.2Pinto and Slevin46
2.2.3Lechler48
2.2.4The implications of "critical success factors"50
2.3What a worldview is and how it can be made visible50
2.4The project management "worldview"52
2.4.1"Praxis"--What a project manager does52
2.4.2Salient elements of the "praxis"53
2.4.3Validation of the core "praxis" elements57
2.4.4A review of the "praxis" elements58
Summary of themes, topics and terms59
Theme 1Practices relating to the nature of the particular project60
Theme 2 (Topic 6)Practices relating to the stages the project will need to pass through72
Theme 3Practices relating to "beneficial change" that the project is intended to accomplish73
Theme 4Practices relating to the people that are associated with the enterprise81
2.5A systemic view of the project manager's worldview90
2.5.1Correlations of empirical research with the systemic worldview92
2.6How can the search be conducted for improved project management practice?95
2.7Conclusion96
3.0Research methods and underlying theory99
3.1Summary99
3.2Fundamental research issues of philosophy, knowledge, reality and language100
3.2.1Preliminary considerations of philosophy102
3.2.2What is going on when people gain "knowledge"?104
3.2.3Epistemic Considerations107
3.3Developing an appropriate research procedure112
3.3.1The role of Community in the Acquisition of Knowledge117
3.4A new research methodology119
3.5Conclusion125
4.0Developing and applying the new research model127
4.1Summary127
4.2Three Cycles of Action Research128
4.3The First Cycle of Action Research130
Step 1Assemble the network133
Step 2Agree Topics133
Step 3Write questions and scoring guidelines133
Step 4Analyse data and publish report134
Step 5Select topics for individual workshops134
Step 6Hold interactive learning workshops135
Step 7Review the year's learning and consider a second cycle of activity135
4.3.1Experience gained in practice136
Assembling a network136
Defining the programme of work137
Identifying and gathering the data138
Sharing and learning from the information138
4.4The Second Cycle of Action Research: Challenging Perceptions140
Step 1Hold SD modelling workshop140
Steps 2 and 3Develop project-level database structure and build project-level database Mk I141
Step 4Populate database with 10 pilot projects142
Step 5Collect additional project data142
Step 6Analyse project-level data142
Step 7Workshops on specific topics143
4.5The Third Cycle of Action Research: Refining the Method143
4.5.1Developing the Mk II data collection instrument, and establishing the habit of continuous learning145
4.5.3Developing the Corporate Practice Questionnaire version 3 and an organisational project management maturity model149
4.6Adding the Final Element: Interpretation and In-house Support150
4.7Conclusion: The Origins of the Research Method in Three Cycles of Development151
5.0What does the data show?--Illustrative analyses from two data sets155
5.1Summary155
5.2How data are used by the networks156
5.2.1Applying the data in workshops156
5.2.2Building on the data in working parties158
5.2.3Combining insights with fresh analysis159
5.3The Corporate Practice Questionnaire161
5.3.1How organisations use the CPQ162
5.3.2Illustrative results produced from the CPQ164
5.3.3Individual company indications173
5.4The data collection instrument (DCI)176
5.4.1Project type and industry environment177
5.4.2Project results184
5.4.3Strategic decisions189
5.4.4Project management practices192
Chaid Analysis194
Bivariate Correlations197
Further investigation of the correlations199
5.4.5Conclusions about effective practices202
5.4.6A "relative" spin-off from a "positivist" search204
5.5Conclusion: The link between project management practices and project performance206
6.0Conclusions and further work to be done209
6.1Summary209
6.2Answers to the research questions209
6.3The contribution made by this research programme211
6.3.1A research-driven approach to project improvement212
6.3.2An innovative research method212
6.3.3Enhancement of the project management worldview213
6.3.4An international inter-company community of practice213
6.3.5Specific results that pave the way for project management benchmarking213
6.3.6Locating projects in the context of strategic bus. improvement214
6.4Developing benchmarking techniques for use with projects214
6.4.1Three difficulties to overcome214
Few project management processes produce the project's primary product or service directly214
Different projects contain different profiles of risk215
Projects are executed within differing organisational environments216
6.4.2Two ways to progress towards a benchmarking capability216
Incorporate existing performance data216
Extend the range of performance measures217
6.5Improving comparability of data218
Improved comparability for the CPQ218
Improved data categories for the DCI219
6.6Applying systems thinking and system dynamics219
6.6.1Deepening understanding of the project management worldview220
The "people side" of project management220
Benefits management221
Understanding project strategies222
6.6.2Developing a predictive model223
Developing a new research instrument223
Developing a "flight simulator"225
6.7Conclusion225
Reference List227
Appendix IPortrait
Appendix IILandscape
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