The dependence upon context of project critical success factors: test of the contingency hypothesis and effects of technological uncertainty and collectivism culture

Abstract

Although the relationship between critical success factors (CSFs) and project performance is established, evidence regarding the dependence on the context of CSFs is patchy. To advance this field, we conduct two complementary studies. Study 1 examines contingency theory regarding managerial CSFs using survey responses (N = 211) of project management professionals from the United Kingdom. Using survey data from projects (N = 336) in the United Kingdom, Study 2 examines the contextual dependence of managerial CSFs in a moderated-moderation, theoretical framework whereby project technological uncertainty moderates the relationship between managerial CSFs and project execution and efficiency, and in-group collectivism culture of the executing organisation moderates the effect of technological uncertainty. Results confirm that external and internal contexts influence managerial CSFs. Managerial CSFs have a greater than expected influence on project execution and efficiency. The positive effect of managerial CSFs is weaker when technological uncertainty is high. When technological uncertainty is high, the effect of managerial CSFs strengthens as levels of in-group collectivism culture increase. However, when technological uncertainty is low, the effect of managerial CSFs weakens as levels of in-group collectivism culture increase. We discuss the managerial and theoretical implications.

Keywords:

• Project failure
• project execution and efficiency
• managerial critical success factors
• project technological uncertainty
• in-group collectivism culture

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maxwell Chipulu

Maxwell Chipulu is associate professor and programme lead for the BSc in Business Analytics at the University of Southampton, and thematic cluster pathway coordinator for the ESRC South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership, United Kingdom. Previously, he was a mechanical engineer, working in production. He earned his PhD in Management Sciences and Statistics, MSc in Management Sciences and BEng in Mechanical Engineering from University of Southampton, UK. Max is an interdisciplinary researcher. He mainly researches the use of analytics in complex and/or uncertain operations management environments particularly projects. But he is also interested in methodology of text analytics, how culture influences organisations, ethicality and sustainability and the pedagogy of quantitative subjects in Business School settings. He has published articles in reputable international journals such as IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Journal of Business Ethics, International Journal of Forecasting, Production Planning & Control, Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, International Review of Financial Analysis, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, and the International Journal of Project Management, etc.

Ramesh Vahidi

Ramesh Vahidi leads the MSc in Project Management (PM), which she designed upon joining the University of Southampton in 2012. Ramesh holds a PhD in PM from the former School of the Built and Natural Environment at Northumbria University and a dual MSc (Distinction) in International PM from Northumbria University and Chalmers University in Sweden. She gained her original BEng and MEng degrees in Industrial Engineering respectively from Iran University of Science and Technology and Sharif University of Technology. Between her degrees, she worked with several major companies in different industries, namely IT and management consulting in the power industry, manufacturing and industrial research. She held project manager, project consultant, project auditor and senior analyst positions in several programmes/projects. Following an interest in practical and fundamental research on PM theories, she returned to academia in 2006 for her further degrees, which set the ground for her academic career since. Ramesh is a fellow of HEA and a full member (MAPM) of the Association for Project Management (APM) and has been a committee member of their Wessex Branch and HEI representative since 2012.