The effects of sunk cost and project completion on information technology project escalation

Keil, Mark; Truex, Duane P.; Mixon, Richard

doi:10.1109/17.482086

Cited by 74 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Our operationalization of the completion effect construct is also consistent with previous research that has employed content analysis to detect phrases that people use to express the completion effect as a rationale for continuing a troubled project (Keil et al 1995b). Keil et al (1995b) have noted that remarks such as "once you start something, finish it" are typical of the way in which people express the completion effect as a rationale for continuation.…”

Section: Completion Effect Constructsupporting

confidence: 54%

“…One senator, who was a proponent of the project, was quoted as saying: "To terminate a project in which $1.1 billion has been invested represents an unconscionable mishandling of taxpayers' dollars" (Arkes and Blumer 1985, p. 124). Our operationalization of the sunk cost effect construct is also consistent with previous research that has employed content analysis to detect phrases that people use to express the notion of sunk cost as a rationale for continuing a troubled project (Keil et al 1995b). Keil et al (1995b) have noted that remarks such as "too much money has already been invested to back out of the project now" are typical of the way in which people express sunk cost as a rationale for continuation.…”

Section: Sunk Cost Effect Constructsupporting

confidence: 52%

“…Work by Keil et al (1995b), however, suggests the opposite. Because this matter remains unresolved in the literature, we included both constructs in our research.…”

Section: Approach Avoidance Theorymentioning

confidence: 79%

“…Keil et al (1995b) have noted that remarks such as "once you start something, finish it" are typical of the way in which people express the completion effect as a rationale for continuation. Table 2 summarizes the response rates for the two different versions of the survey.…”

Section: Completion Effect Constructmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Why Software Projects Escalate: An Empirical Analysis and Test of Four Theoretical Models

2000

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This research was made possible through a grant from the Information Systems Audit and Control Foundation and is based on a survey of Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) members. Some of the descriptive results from the ISACA survey were presented at the 1997 Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences and published in its proceedings (Keil and Mann 1997c). Preliminary results from the ISACA survey in the form of descriptive statistics were also published in the IS Audit & Control Journal (Keil and Mann 1997a, 1997b

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Section: Completion Effect Constructsupporting

confidence: 54%

Section: Sunk Cost Effect Constructsupporting

confidence: 52%

“…Work by Keil et al (1995b), however, suggests the opposite. Because this matter remains unresolved in the literature, we included both constructs in our research.…”

Section: Approach Avoidance Theorymentioning

confidence: 79%

Section: Completion Effect Constructmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Why Software Projects Escalate: An Empirical Analysis and Test of Four Theoretical Models

2000

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“…Runaway Projects (Keil et al 2000) are often the result of short-lived enthusiasms for a particular development-when the originators are no longer available, or are distracted with other tasks, new developers may be assigned to the project in what becomes an effective and on-going demonstration of the destructive power of the sunk cost effect (Keil et al 1995). The projects are, in and of themselves, sufficiently interesting to get new developers excited about taking them on-that is part of the problem.…”

Section: Project Scoping and Feature Creepmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethical and Professional Complications in the Construction of Multi-Developer Hobbyist Games

Heron

2016

Comput Game J

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The modern availability of powerful video game development frameworks has resulted in something of an indie renaissance. Within this blossoming of small scale development are numerous hobbyist developers who build games for their own inherent satisfaction rather than with the expectation of any financial remuneration. While many of these individuals labour in isolation, some have undertaken projects of sufficient scale and complexity to require the recruitment of multiple developers over long periods of time. The lack of direct payment for volunteered efforts in such environments creates numerous interpersonal issues that must be considered-these relate to aspects of intellectual property ownership and the treatment of developers, as well as to the expectations of those players who may invest their time in a hobbyist title. The nature of recruitment for such projects is such that formal experience in software development or games design cannot be assumed, and the management complexities this paradigm introduces are of sufficient complexity that few tools are available to ensure the coherent development of a game. This paper is a reflective analysis of the issues that emerged through the development of one such game. The observations contained within however are applicable to all multi-developer projects where financial compensation for contributions are likely to be non-existent.

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IT Project Failure: Causes and Response Strategies

Lee

2015

Wiley Encyclopedia of Management

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An information technology ( IT ) project is a planned organizational change that requires significant financial investments and human efforts, and failed projects can cause significant damage to entire organizations. Despite advances in the project management discipline, recent research continues to show alarming numbers of project failures and many of these project failures are associated with management issues as opposed to technical issues. In this article, I discuss three causes underlying many of the IT project failures (escalation of commitment, communication failures, and risk management) and response strategies to each failure causes.

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The effects of sunk cost and project completion on information technology project escalation

Cited by 74 publications

References 30 publications

Why Software Projects Escalate: An Empirical Analysis and Test of Four Theoretical Models

Why Software Projects Escalate: An Empirical Analysis and Test of Four Theoretical Models

Ethical and Professional Complications in the Construction of Multi-Developer Hobbyist Games

IT Project Failure: Causes and Response Strategies

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