A dimensional analysis of stakeholder assessment of project outcomes

Abstract

Driven by an interest in developing a deeper understanding of stakeholder interests, this study undertakes a dimensional analysis of how different stakeholders assess project outcomes. Most importantly, in our analysis, we take into consideration the largely unaccounted-for conceptual difference between project success and project failure. Data were collected over a 2-year period (between 2013 and 2015) from 1631 project stakeholders in nine countries. We analyzed the survey data using three-way Multidimensional Scaling. We found that most project stakeholders tend to be more specific in their assessment of project success than when assessing project failure. We also found that most stakeholders attached maximal and different levels of importance to different dimensions of project outcomes. In particular, we found that when assessing project ‘success’, project stakeholders appear more focused on project effectiveness. On the other hand, when assessing project ‘failure’, project stakeholders appear more focused on efficiency. Understanding how stakeholders assess and prioritize project outcomes is of particular interest to project managers as it enables them develop a clearer understanding of individual interests of various stakeholders. For stakeholders themselves, such an understanding helps limit possible disruptions to the project emanating from contesting decisions made by the project manager.

Keywords:

• Stakeholder
• project outcomes
• scale development

Note

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 In this study, we utilise the term ‘congruency’ in its simple literal meaning which implies coinciding assessments made by individual stakeholders.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maxwell Chipulu

Max Chipulu is an Associate Professor in Management Science at Southampton Business School (University of Southampton). His main interest is in Data Analysis and Application of Multivariate Statistical Modelling. Maxwell holds an MSc and PhD in Management Science and Statistics from Southampton Business School. His articles have been accepted and published in journals such as OR Insight, International Journal of Information Management, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, International Journal of Logistics Management and International Journal of Project Management.

Udechukwu Ojiako

Udechukwu (Udi) Ojiako is Professor of Engineering Management & Law at the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. He is also Visiting Professor in Management at the Risk Institute, University of Hull and Visiting Professor in Business at UNIZIK Business School, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria. He has held prior academic positions in the UK, South Africa and now the United Arab Emirates. Udi holds a PhD in Project Management obtained from the University of Northumbria, a PhD in Business obtained from University of Hull and an LLB in Laws obtained from the University of London. He also recently completed an MPhil (Laws) with Aberystwyth University. His articles have been accepted and published in journals such as International Journal of Project Management, Project Management Journal and Production Planning & Control.

Alasdair Marshall

Alasdair Marshall is currently Associate Professor of Risk Management having joined the Southampton Business School in September 2008. Both his MA (Hons) degree and PhD are in Social Science, from the University of Glasgow. Between 2003 and 2008, Alasdair worked at Glasgow Caledonian University, where he contributed to Risk Management teaching within Caledonian Business School and was involved in a broad range of research and consultancy projects within the Cullen Centre for Risk and Governance.

Terry Williams

Terry Williams is Director of the Risk Institute, University of Hull. He previously served as Dean of Hull University Business School and before that, Director of the School of Management, University of Southampton. Terry has worked in both the public and private sector, beginning as a Lecturer in Operational Research at the University of Strathclyde, while completing his PhD research. He later became Professor and Department Head, where he worked in research and consultancy, modelling project behaviour and supporting $1.5bn + post-project claims. Terry is a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, a Chartered Mathematician, a Fellow of the OR Society and a certified Project Manager (PMP).

Umit Bititci

Umit Bititci is the Professor of Business Performance at the Heriot Watt University, School of Management and Languages, Edinburgh. He has a unique blend of industrial and academic experience that spans across 35 years. He has dedicated his career to understanding what makes high-performing companies different. He has worked with an international portfolio of companies and public sector organizations. He has led several international research and development projects with a research portfolio of approximately £20 million. He has published over 200 academic articles and he regularly appears at international conferences and workshops as guest/keynote speaker.

Caroline Mota

Caroline Mota holds a PhD in Management Engineering from the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil where she is currently an Associate Professor of Production Engineering. Caroline has participated of several research projects sponsored by the Brazilian National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq). Her research interests include project management and multiple criteria decision aid models. Caroline’s articles have been accepted and published in journals such as Production Planning & Control, International Journal of Operations & Production Management and International Journal of Project Management.

Yongyi Shou

Yongyi Shou is Professor of Operations Management in the School of Management, Zhejiang University, China. He received his PhD degree in Systems and Engineering Management from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He was a visiting scholar at both the University of Cambridge and also Indiana University. He serves as a committee member of Project Management Research Committee China. His research and teaching interests focus on operations management, supply chain management, and project management.

Ashish Thomas

Ashish Thomas is Assistant Professor at Mihalcheon School of Management, Concordia University of Edmonton, Canada. He brings over 24 years of progressive management experience in marketing, operations, supply chain, quality and continuous improvement initiatives. Ashish is currently engaged in training business students in areas of Operations, Supply Chain and Project Management. He has provided leadership and continuous improvement support to over 12 SBU’s for multiple Fortune 500 companies.

Ali El Dirani

Ali El Dirani is an Assistant Professor at Al Maaref University, Lebanon. Ali holds undergraduate degrees and an MBA from the Lebanese American University (LAU) and a PhD in Management from the University of Southampton. Ali has over ten years of experience in the higher education sector having gained experience in the UK, Kuwait and Lebanon. Ali’s publications span book chapters and contributions to academic journals and conferences. His main research interest is in General Management.

Stuart Maguire

Stuart Maguire is a lecturer in Management at the Management School, University of Sheffield, UK. He obtained his PhD in Systems from Lancaster University. He is a member of the British Academy of Management and the United Kingdom Systems Society. His articles have been accepted and published in journals such as the International Journal of Services and Operations Management, Strategic Change, IMDS, and Production Planning and Control.

Teta Stamati

Teta Stamati obtained her degree in computer science from the Nationaland Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. She also holds an MPhil in Enterprise Modelling Techniques from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in UK, an MBA Degree from Lancaster University Business School in UK, and a PhD from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. Currently, she is a research associate at the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Greece. She has extensive experience in top management positions in leading IT companies in the Greek and European private sector.