Improving and embedding project management practice in organisations

This thesis describes a mixed methodological research approach for developing a framework to help organisations to improve and embed project management (PM) practice. While the literature on PM provides some advice, organisations need guidance on which PM improvement initiatives (PMIls) they should concentrate their efforts. A related issue is how to facilitate the embedment of PMIls in organisations. The research adopts an “innovation lens” perspective, using concepts of diffusion, dissemination, implementation and routinisation, from other disciplines to develop an understanding of the embedding process of PMIls. Exploratory research was undertaken, which aimed to identify key PMIls and key embedding factors, based upon the circumstances encountered in different organisations. A first attempt at framework conceptualisation based ona literature review was used as a skeleton support for the exploratory study. A series of thirty semi-structured interviews with PM professionals sought to identify additional PMIls and embedding factors and check the salience of the PMIls and embedding factors identified from literature review. Analysis of the interviews data led to a modified set of pertinent PMIls and embedding factors resulting in a ‘revised framework’. In a subsequent phase of the research, an online questionnaire survey was undertaken to obtain a wider set of views and it was answered by 793 PM professionals from about 75 different countries. Analysis of the questionnaire responses largely confirmed the ‘revised framework’ for embedding useful PMIls. Additionally, the questionnaire data was used to identify the inter-relationships between the themes to improve and embed PM practice, and the dependencies of the key PMIls and key embedding factors on different organisational contexts, namely sector of activity, size, types of projects, and geographic location. The main contribution to practice is the conceptual framework itself. The main contribution to theory of this research is that it builds knowledge in the area of embedding PM practice, for which there is limited understanding. Using a ‘success factor’ approach, the research identifies a key set of PMIls and factors that can influence the embedding of PMlls in organisations, based on empirical work. Additionally, the research i) adopts an “innovation lens” perspective, which is itself a relatively novel approach; ii) adds empirical evidence on the dependency of PMIls and embedding factors on the organisational contexts; and iii) provides a foundation for future empirical research. The proposed framework has been validated by quantitative analysis of responses from the questionnaire, however further validation through the use of case studies in order to highlight contextual variables is warranted.