Improving project performance through organisational learning: an empirical study in Taiwan

Abstract

As organisations continue to invest substantial resources and efforts on information systems (IS) projects, a key issue in IS project management is to manage in such a way as to increase performance. Therefore, managers need a better mechanism for ensuring project performance. Using theories of management and organisational learning, this study conducted a research model to examine the effects of organisational learning and the learning process on project performance. The hypotheses proposed here were tested on a sample of Taiwanese companies and used structural equation modelling as a statistical technique. Our findings show that organisation process focus (a learning process) has a positive impact on organisational learning, which in turn has a positive influence on project performance. Both organisation process focus and organisational learning have influences on project performance. These conclusions should help IS managers revisit their priorities in terms of the relative efforts in learning process and organisational learning. Implications for research and management are discussed.

Keywords:

• organisational learning
• project performance
• organisation process focus
• project development
• management theory