Background: There are numerous studies in the Information Technology (IT) field on IT project success and/or failure and reasons thereof. There is much discussion about what constitutes IT project success and the main determinants are generally a subjective matter. Several studies address critical success factors and some address success criteria about IT projects. However, the combination of mechanisms, success criteria, and critical success factors has not been adequately researched or widely addressed and hence the need to conduct this study which seeks to examine the aforementioned relationships and propose a modified model to explain the links among them. Objectives: The main objectives of this study are: 1) To identify and discuss the role played by success factors (input variables) in an IT project; 2) To identify and discuss the role played by success criteria (output variables) in an IT project; 3) To identify and discuss the role played by mechanisms (mediating variables) and impact thereof on an IT project; and 4) To identify, investigate and explore the interrelationships between the aforementioned constructs and how they impact the success of an IT project. Research Methodology/Approach: A modified model of the Black Box of IS Project Success Mechanisms was utilised to guide the data collection process. The model was based on three fundamental constructs developed from various sources of literature viz. success criteria, critical success factors, and mechanisms. The study made use of a single case study based on a data migration project which one of the major corporates in South Africa executed. The data migration project provides for a distinct type of IT project suitable to meet the study objectives. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews, and a thematic analysis was conducted to identify success factors, mechanisms, and IT project success criteria. Findings: The findings revealed that there are several success criteria measures viz. the traditional project management triangle (cost, scope and time), non-functional requirements, customer satisfaction, other stakeholders' requirements, quality assurance, organisational benefits, and learning and growth. Further, there are several critical success factors including project management factors, team-related factors, organisational factors, business process factors, and governance and risk factors. There are core mechanisms that are pivotal to the success of the IT project which includes project visibility, teamwork, and effective communication.

IT projects continue to fail at an alarming rate. The majority of IT initiatives have a significant impact within organisations due to the integrative nature of IT systems and as a result the cost of this failure is high. The purpose of this research report is to investigate the prevalence of „accidental project managers‟ in the ICT industry (employees that have demonstrated technical expertise and been promoted to project management positions without any regard for project manager training and competencies) and examine what effect these untrained project managers have on project performance. A descriptive, quantitative research methodology was employed, and the sample that supported this research was taken from members of the Internet Service Provider‟s Association and the Project Management Institute of South Africa. The results indicated a positive association between project manager training level and projects being completed within budget, on time, and resulting in an operational system. The results also supported a correlative relationship between project manager training level and overall project outcome. These findings highlight the importance to organisations of investing in project manager training and developing effective recruitment criteria in order to boost IT project success rates.

IT projects continue to fail at an alarming rate. The majority of IT initiatives have a significant impact within organisations due to the integrative nature of IT systems and as a result the cost of this failure is high. The purpose of this research report is to investigate the prevalence of „accidental project managers‟ in the ICT industry (employees that have demonstrated technical expertise and been promoted to project management positions without any regard for project manager training and competencies) and examine what effect these untrained project managers have on project performance. A descriptive, quantitative research methodology was employed, and the sample that supported this research was taken from members of the Internet Service Provider‟s Association and the Project Management Institute of South Africa. The results indicated a positive association between project manager training level and projects being completed within budget, on time, and resulting in an operational system. The results also supported a correlative relationship between project manager training level and overall project outcome. These findings highlight the importance to organisations of investing in project manager training and developing effective recruitment criteria in order to boost IT project success rates.

The PH.D. thesis deals with the concept of diversity management in the field of IT project management. It is based on the extensive empirical research. The findings and conclusions enable to adapt and implement concrete actions in the organizational context.

This thesis aims to examine why IT-projects in the public sector frequently exceed their budgets. The study is delimited to risk management and the thesis opts to answer the following question: Which risks have not been successfully managed in public sector IT-projects which exceeded their budgets? The study was conducted through qualitative individual interviews with six project managers and four project owners. The choice to interview both project managers and project owners was made in order to gather information from two different perspectives. To further validate the collected information project plans, risk management documents and completion reports where requested and analysed. The result from the study shows that new or altered requirements, unforeseen risks and lack of competence are the main reasons for budget overruns. The conclusion is therefore that estimations for a correct budget, to keep the resources and work proactively to make room for risk management are important factors to finalizing successful IT-projects. A final factor which must be accounted for is that the project budget is just an estimate on what the project will cost, thus making a poor measurement on what makes a successful project. The thesis is written in swedish. / Målet med den här uppsatsen är att undersöka varför statliga IT-projekt går över budget. För att avgränsa valdes riskhantering som fokus och frågeställningen blev: Vilka risker har inte lyckats hanteras i statliga IT-projekt som gått över budget? Undersökningen genomfördes genom kvalitativa individuella intervjuer med sex projektledare och fyra projektägare. Valet av både projektledare och projektägare gjordes för att få information om projekten från två olika perspektiv. Som komplement och för att ytterligare validera den insamlade empirin efterfrågades även projektplaner, riskhanteringsdokument och slutrapporter. Huvudresultaten av undersökningen är att nya eller förändrade krav, oförutsedda risker och kompetensbrist är det som till största del gör att projekt går över budget. Slutsatsen är därför att tidsestimering för att få en korrekt budget, att få behålla sina resurser samt arbeta proaktivt så att det finns utrymme för att hantera risker att är viktiga faktorer för att genomföra ett lyckat projekt. Slutligen en faktor som bör tas i beaktning är att projektbudget bara är ett estimat på vad man tror projektet kommer kosta och på så sätt utgör ett dåligt mätvärde på misslyckade projekt.

Syfte – Ett IT-projekt påverkas av faktorer som i olika faser på olika sätt leder till positiva eller negativa konsekvenser. Dessa faktorer bör identifieras, analyseras och hanteras för att skapa ett lyckat IT-projekt. Därmed är studiens syfte: Undersöka viktiga aspekter som påverkar ett IT-projekt. Metod – En fallstudie med intervjuer på ett utvalt fallföretag har genomförts. Intervjuerna har analyserats med hjälp av det teoretiska ramverket för att därefter besvara studiens två frågeställningar och uppnå syftet med studien. Resultat – Resultatet från fallstudien visar på 16 faktorer som påverkar ett IT-projekt: strategi, ledarskap, stöd, team, management, plan, extern, kultur, förändring, process, kommunikation, teknik, utbildning, användare och egenmakt. Faktorerna ledarskap, stöd, kompetens, kultur och kommunikation är betydelsefulla i alla projektets faser medan de övriga faktorerna visar sig har mer eller mindre påverkan beroende på vilken fas projektet befinner sig i. Faktorernas betydelse på projektet och faserna varierar även beroende på projektmedlemmarnas roll. Resultatet från fallstudien redogör för de tre viktigaste faktorerna som bidrar till om ett projekt blir lyckat eller ej vilka är: kommunikation, ledarskap och egenmakt. Implikationer – Studien ger en generell bild över hur påverkansfaktorer i ett IT-projekt bör hanteras. De viktigaste faktorerna i olika faser belyses, därmed kan studiens resultat finnas som en vägledning för verksamheter som arbetar med IT-projekt. Studien kan finnas som stöd för verksamheter genom att identifiera de faktorer som avgör om projektet blir lyckat eller ej. Begränsningar – Denna studie har genomförts på ett fallföretag. Om fler fallföretag blivit studerade hade reliabiliteten blivit större. / Purpose – An IT project is affected by factors in different phases that in different ways lead to positive or negative consequences. These factors should be identified, analyzed and managed to create a successful IT project. The purpose of the study is thus to: Investigate important aspects that affect an IT project. Method – A case study with interviews at a selected case company has been conducted. The interviews were analyzed using the theoretical framework in order to answer the study's two questions and achieve the purpose of the study. Findings – The result from the case study shows 16 factors that affect an IT project: strategy, leadership, support, team, management, plan, external, culture, change, process, communication, technology, education, users and empowerment. The factors of leadership, support, competence, culture and communication are important in all phases of the project, while the other factors appear to have more or less influence depending on the phase of the project. The results from the case study describe the three most important factors that contribute to whether or not a project is successful: communication, leadership and empowerment. Implications – The study provides a general picture of how impacting factors in an IT project should be managed. The most important factors in different phases are highlighted, thus the study's results can serve as a guide for businesses working on IT projects. The study can be used to support businesses by identifying the factors that determine whether the project is successful or not. Limitations – This study was conducted at one company. If more case companies had been studied, reliability would have been greater.

The thesis focuses on optimisation of project management methodology and tools in a small company, engaged in development of enterprise software. The company is facing major challenges, resulting in frequent failure to comply with projects deadlines and costs. The introductory theoretical part presents some possible approaches to solving these problems. These are based primarily on the most popular methodologies and research of various authors. There are three objectives in the practical part. The first one is to analyse the current state of project management area in the company. To fulfil this objective, several analytical methods were used, alongside with the measurement of the maturity of processes using CMMI models. The output of this part is used for identification of major problems related to project management. The second objective is to choose the most suitable methodology for project management optimization. The next part focuses on selection of supporting software tool. The third objective is to present a proposal of changes to the current corporate project management methodology, processes and tools, based on the identification of major problems. The final part presents the schedule of implementation of the proposed changes.

Informationstechnologie (IT) ist im heutigen Marktumfeld für viele Unternehmen längst zu einem erfolgsrelevanten Faktor geworden. Den Management- und Controllingprozessen von IT-Projekten ist somit besondere Aufmerksamkeit zu widmen, da sie die IT-Fähigkeiten der gesamten Organisation maßgeblich beeinflussen. Um diese Prozesse zu bewerten und zielgerichtet weiterzuentwickeln, sind Reifegradmodelle (Maturity Models) ein effektives Instrument. Für den speziellen Bereich des IT-Projektmanagements und -controllings existiert bereits eine Vielzahl von Reifegradmodellen. Obwohl einer der meistgenannten Nutzenaspekte von Reifegradmodellen in der Verbesserung der Prozesse liegt, ist die Erfolgsquote von IT-Projekten gering. Die Gründe hierfür sind vielfältig, liegen jedoch in erster Linie in einer unzureichenden Planung, Steuerung und Kontrolle des Projektverlaufs, zu geringer Beachtung von Projektinterdependenzen sowie einer fehlenden Ausrichtung der Prozesse an einer übergeordneten Strategie (Business-ITAlignment). In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden daher einige weit verbreitete Reifegradmodelle analysiert und gegenübergestellt. Es wird unter anderem untersucht, inwiefern bestehende Reifegradmodelle zum IT-Projektmanagement die wichtigen Teilaspekte des IT-Projektcontrollings sowie des Business-IT-Alignments abbilden. Die Untersuchung zeigt vor allem zwei Schwachstellen: Zum einen fokussieren viele Modelle bei der Prozessbetrachtung lediglich auf die operative Ebene und vernachlässigen strategische Aspekte des IT-Projektmanagements und -controllings. Zum anderen liefern zwar alle Modelle eine Beschreibung der Ist-Situation, können aber kaum konkrete Hinweise oder Handlungsanweisungen zur Verbesserung der Prozesse bereitstellen. Aufgrund dieser Erkenntnisse wird ein Ansatz für ein Reifegradmodell entwickelt, welcher die identifizierten Problembereiche adressiert. Besonders die Verknüpfung strategischer und operativer Elemente des Einzel- und Multiprojektcontrollings, die Beachtung spezieller Merkmale von IT-Projekten sowie der Vorschlag konkreter Maßnahmen und Controllinginstrumente zur Prozessverbesserung können einen erheblichen Mehrwert zu bereits vorhandenen Modellen erzeugen. Das entwickelte Modell trägt somit zum Verständnis der Relevanz eines erfolgreichen IT-Projektcontrollings bei, hilft durch seine Spezialisierung die entsprechenden Prozesse genauer zu analysieren und gibt praktische Hinweise zur gezielten Verbesserung. Für eine empirische Validierung und Weiterentwicklung sind jedoch weitere Studien notwendig.

The potential importance of managing knowledge for competitive advantage has been widely discussed according to Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995), with the sharing and application of knowledge being widely identified in recent years as key sources of sustained competitive advantage (Hall & Sapsed 2005, p57). While Alavi and Leidner (2001, p216) agree that much theory already exists on knowledge management, they argue that little empirical work has been undertaken and hence there are large gaps in the body of knowledge in this area. Bresnen, Edelman, Newell, Scarbrough, and Swan (2003) further suggest that only recently has attention been specifically directed towards managing knowledge in project environments. Evidence of poor IT project success continues to be provided by many researchers even though today's corporations recognize that to be successful, they need to understand modern project management techniques (Schwalbe 2002, p2). With Kotnour (2000) finding that project performance is positively associated with project knowledge, a better understanding of how to effectively manage knowledge in IT projects should have considerable practical significance for increasing the chances of project success. The focus of this research centres on the question of why individuals working within IT project teams might be motivated towards, or inhibited from, sharing their knowledge and experience in their activities, procedures, and processes. Using a combined qualitative/quantitative method of data collection in multiple case studies spanning four continents, and comprising a variety of organisational types, the research concludes with the development of a new theoretical model of knowledge sharing behaviour, &quotThe Alignment Model of Motivational Focus". This model suggests that an individual's propensity to share knowledge and experience is a function of perceived personal benefits and costs associated with the activity, balanced against the individual's alignment to a group of 'institutional' factors. These factors are identified as alignments to the project team, to the organisation, and dependent on the circumstances, to either the professional discipline or community of practice, to which the individual belongs. The model might be used within knowledge intensive projects, to help identify an individual's latent propensity to share knowledge, and to identify actions that may need to be taken in order to modify knowledge sharing behaviour.

Concern for project failures and successes have posed a controversial and much debated topic amongst scholars and practitioners alike. IT projects are no exceptions and they too suffer from a high rate of failure. This research aims to explore the reasons why certain IT projects succeed). Besides its academic importance, the research intends to assess the implications for successful implementation of current and future IT projects. The review of the extant literature reveals the enormity of the challenges involved in minimising or avoiding project failures. Present work is contextualizing these issues in a large national organisation with branches throughout the KSA. The Saudi Arabia constitutes the case study for this research. Qualitative methodology was adopted to generate and collect adequate and relevant data. Main instruments were; Semi-structured interviews involving senior managers in five geographical areas who were involved in the management of the IT projects and selected project documents. Thematic analysis was used and led to emergence of seven main ‘themes’, 19 major ‘issues’, and the construction of the first time generic model for success of IT projects. The core issues identified in the model are: Quality, Time and Cost at three levels; individual, organisation and environment with specific order of importance. The implications of the findings for the theory and practice have been identified. It is also recommended that there is a need for further research into individual and contextual factors that influence both managers as well as the circumstances under which IT projects are implemented.