The impact of project portfolio management practices on the relationship between organizational ambidexterity and project performance success

Abstract

Some studies suggest that organizational ambidexterity is best orchestrated through individual projects. However, stand-alone individual projects are relatively limited in scope, while suffering from susceptibilities to horizontal and vertical segmentation. This may render them poorly suited to serve as conduits for organizational ambidexterity. By contrast, organizations which deliver projects in portfolios, often in order to maximize resource utilization, may discern that these also provide better conduits for organizational ambidexterity. This study examines not only the extent to which project portfolio management (PPM) practices impact orchestrations of organizational ambidexterity, but also whether these orchestrated PPM practices impact further lead to superior project performance. Data were collected from one hundred and sixty PPM stakeholders spread across eight countries in the Middle East November 2016 to January 2017. The study finds portfolios performance to be strongly and highly correlated with organizational ambidexterity. Furthermore, the more organizations exhibited efficient project-portfolio-management practice, the more they were found to develop ambidextrous capabilities.

Keywords:

• Organizational ambidexterity
• project portfolio management (PPM)
• projects
• project performance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was by reported the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Udechukwu Ojiako

Udechukwu (Udi) Ojiako is Professor of Engineering Management 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). Udi has held prior academic positions in the UK, South Africa and now the United Arab Emirates. He holds a PhD in Project Management obtained from the University of Northumbria (2005), a PhD in Business obtained from University of Hull (2015). He also holds an LLB (Laws) obtained from the University of London (2017), and an MPhil (Laws) from Aberystwyth University (2019). He recently completed his PhD thesis in Law at Aberystwyth University (2021). His articles have been accepted and published in journals such as International Journal of Project Management, Project Management Journal, Production Planning & Control and the Journal of Business Ethics.

Yacoub Petro

Yacoub Petro is the managing leader for Stantec, Ontario West (Canada) having previously served for over thirteen years as Stantec Director of Operations in the Middle East. In his position, he oversees project management and delivery, providing his team with clear and effective strategic direction. A civil and chartered engineer (CEng), Yacoub’s background stems from structural engineering. Yacoub holds a PhD in Project Management obtained from the British University in Dubai (BUiD). His articles have been accepted and published in journals such as the Chinese Business Review, International Journal of Project Management, Production Planning & Control and the ASCE Journal of Management in Engineering. He is a recipient of the 2016 Project Management Institute Doctoral Research Grant.

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. His articles have been accepted and published in journals such as International Journal of Project Management, Il Pensiero Economico Italiano, Journal of Business Ethics and Production Planning & Control.

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).