Project Approval Decisions: Exploring Success Factors

Nada, Diana

Project Approval Decisions: Exploring Success Factors

atmire.migration.oldid	1737
dc.contributor.advisor	Hartman, Francis
dc.contributor.author	Nada, Diana
dc.date.accessioned	2014-01-07T18:36:18Z
dc.date.available	2014-03-15T07:00:18Z
dc.date.issued	2014-01-07
dc.date.submitted	2013	en
dc.description.abstract	Little research has explored the critical point where a project is created: the sanctioning of the money to invest. This research is an exploratory investigation into this key point in the evolution of a project. Specifically, it focuses on the context within which the investment decision is made. This research investigated the interaction between the decision makers, the executives, and the project management (PM) groups from just before the decision is made to just after the project team gets its mandate. The qualitative investigation considered expert opinion that was solicited from two groups: executives and project managers. Modified Delphi surveys and semi-structured interviews were used. The findings of this thesis show that there is a disconnection between the decisions made at the executive level, and their interpretation by those who deliver the project. The context in which both groups communicate and share information is split into two distinct worlds when justifying fund approvals and delivering projects. One that is politically correct and visible, and a pragmatic one that is needed to get the job done –generally kept invisible. Key discoveries included identifying seven key factors that influence the success of a project investment decision, identification of a critical disconnect between the decision makers and the project implementers resulting from a number of factors that culminate in key observation and recommendation. The observation is that missing critical information is not transferred from one group to the other because it appears to be 'so obvious' to that group that it does not occur to the group to share it and because it is sufficiently opaque – or of little interest – to the other group that they do not require this important information. Both groups should work on bridging this disconnect. Value creation should be a reflective focus under a common understanding of the business and project intent and setting minimum expectation for the quality of the information shared and communicated. One possible part of a solution is creating a new and more diverse career path that exposes executives to their realities of project management and project managers to the world of executive decision-making.	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Nada, D. (2014). Project Approval Decisions: Exploring Success Factors (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/27451	en_US
dc.identifier.doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/27451
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/11023/1240
dc.language.iso	eng
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary	en
dc.publisher.place	Calgary	en
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	Business Administration--Management
dc.subject	Engineering--Civil
dc.subject	Psychology--Behavioral
dc.subject.classification	Management	en_US
dc.subject.classification	neuroeconomics	en_US
dc.subject.classification	decision-making	en_US
dc.subject.classification	approvals	en_US
dc.subject.classification	qualitative	en_US
dc.subject.classification	delphi	en_US
dc.subject.classification	exploratory	en_US
dc.subject.classification	disconnect	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Success	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Project	en_US
dc.title	Project Approval Decisions: Exploring Success Factors
dc.type	doctoral thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Civil Engineering
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopy	true