A maturation model for project-based organisations – with uncertainty management as an always remaining multi-project management focus

Abstract

The classical view of multi-project management does not capture its dynamic nature. Current theory falls short in its ability to explain how the management of project-based companies evolves because of their need to be agile and adaptable in a changing environment. The purpose of this paper is therefore to present a descriptive model that elucidates the maturation processes in a project-based organisation as well as to provide an enhanced understanding of multi-project management in practice. The maturation model illustrates the way the management of project-based organisations evolves between structuring administration and managing uncertainties, and emphasises the importance of active individual actions and situated management actions that have to be undertaken in order to coordinate, synchronise and communicate the required knowledge and skills. The outcomes primarily reveal that, although standardised project models are used and considerable resources are spent on effective project portfolio management, the way information and communication are dealt with is vitally important in the management of projectbased organisations. This is particularly true of informal and non-codified communication.

The Effect of Stakeholders’ Satisfaction and Project Management Performance on Transitions in a Project Management Office

“…In such a context, these researches contemplated the conceptualization of projects as unique and temporary entities, and it is important to consider the distinction between projects and repetitive operations [3], [41]. Additionally, even in project-based organizations, the temporality that characterizes projects is a challenge to the maintenance of the organization's processes [7], [12], [42], [43], [44], [45]. Project temporality condition and the need to establish coherence between different projects and their measurability, contributed the establishment of techniques, methods and theory related to the organizational project management [23], [28], [46], [47], [48].…”

“…the battle ground between empowerments and control, between people and processes, and between political factions'' [1]. Stakeholders' positions vary according to the support of senior management in the definition of the political space [23]; report requirements [16], [49], [51]; project teams' activities to mitigate tensions between the teams and the PMO [52]; relationships with project managers [14], [53]; support of functional managers [9], [11]; communication problems which can be addressed by PMOs [42]; and the tension involving PMO costs [19], [23]. Researches about changes in PMOs also identify stakeholders' issues as key drivers for PMO transformation [23], [27].…”

“…Finally, the role of the PMO leader has been emphasized in the literature [1], [26], [50], [52], [60], especially as a champion for PM practices [22], [61], [62]. Literature also suggests that changing the PMO leader can reduce [26] or improve project performance [7], and can leverage interfaces between organizational areas [42]. The leader also need a strong technical background when working in high-technology companies [50].…”

Projectification and its consequences: Narrow and broad conceptualisations

“…Source: Adapted from Lindgren & Packendorff (2008:55) This narrow view analysis of the processes of projectification reveals not only the incremental and stepwise manner in which the project form is granted primacy in organisations (cf. Jerbrant, 2014), but also the fact that the project-based organisations may well become subject to inertia and bureaucratisation (cf. also Hodgson, 2004).…”

Research on Analytic Model of Project Chain Risk Elements Transmission Based on Risk Ranking Method and Data Mining

“…With the rapid development of project management, project chain or multi-project has become a new research tendency. Papers [3][4] presented the concept of multi-project management and gave the qualitative research in practice early. Qi [5] studied on the impact of PMO for multi-project management of contracting construction enterprises based on structural equation model.…”