Project management in government and joint sector organizations: comparative case studies of four projects

Abstract

The significance of this research study is identified in the context of the important role of joint public sector projects in a developing country and the need to improve their performance. The study is exploratory in nature. Four case studies of projects, promoted by different joint sector end government organizations, are undertaken in a comparative framework with the following purpose: 1. To describe the modes o? project management in these projects and to explore the contextual and uncertainty conditions under which they emerged. 2- To examine similarities in project management in these projects in the context of the common uncertainties prevailing in the task end task environment of Joint and public sector projects. 3. To identify the alternative modes of project management under different conditions of uncertainty in the four projects and in the different project phases. 4. To explore the impact of contextual, contingency, and project management variables on the performance of these projects Four medium size engineering/construction projects ere selected for the study on the criteria of high and low uncertainty and performance. They are: (1) A R and D project in space techno1oQYs implements by a government organization; (2) A pioneering industrial project promoted in joint sector; (3) An expansion-cum-modernization project in co-operative sector; (4) An expansion project in joint sector (public and state government). The major theoretical Focus of the study is on uncertainty in projects and project management's role in coping with the uncertainty. Uncertainty, or a lack of predictability of outcome, is perceived to emerge in a project from the four sources, namely, nature of task internal and external task environment, and goals. Similarities differences in project management across the four projects, and project phases, are examined in relation to these four kinds of uncertainties and their several dimension. The research strategy of the study is based on the case study approach, exploratory research design and qualitative analysis of the case data. Multiple techniques of data collection, including documentary survey, interviews and questionnaires are used in the study to collect data about the contextual, project management, uncertainty, and performance variables. The date is systematically compared by converting the qualitative information to the ratings of 1, 2, and 5 (corresponding to low, moderate and high). Similarities, as well as consistent differences, are noted in pair-wise comparisons between the high and the low uncertainty projects. As a result of the study, contextual theoretical models and hypotheses ere formulated. The major Findings of the study are noted below. Certain similarities observed in the project management of the four projects, such as professional orientation of top management towards the projects, delegation to the project manager, technical skills oriented human resource systems, and an emphasis on expert power in the work culture ,are hypothesized as components of e basic mods of project management ,which tends to emerge in response to the common characteristics of e project activity. Certain other similarities, such as high altruistic and relatively Low risk-taking orientations of top management towards the projects, Dependence on internal expertise, and an emphasis on formal budgetary control systems are hypothesized as the characteristics of an indigenous mode of project management of joint/public sector projects, emerging from the common contextual factors, such are restrictiveness of environment, developmental objectives, and resource dependence. An emphasis on interpersonal influence mechanisms for managing the external interfaces, and on affiliation and extension orientations in the work culture, are also observed and are related to the characteristics of Indian culture as described in literature. Certain consistent differences between the high end the low un-certainty projects are also observed; situational authority, procedural, and participative orientations of the top management towards the projects, higher priority to quality rather than to time, higher level of specialization, decentralization and lateral co-ordination, and greater emphasis on behavioural processes are observed in the high uncertainty projects. Project management is also observed to differ under different uncertainty conditions. For example, under higher uncertainty resulting from the complexity of technical environment, there is a greater emphasis on sophisticated systems of planning and monitoring, while under uncertainty arising from the lack of coping capabilities in the organization, an emphasis on informal systems, participation, and crisis management is observed. A special area of interest in the study is project cycle analysis. Three phases or the project, namely, planning phase, designing/procurement phase and execution phase, are compared in terms of uncertainty and project management. The nature of un- certainty as well as project management are observed to undergo changes during the project's life cycle The uncertainty tends to increase in the design phase, particularly due to the increasing complexity of the technical environmental It tends to decrease in the later phase due to the increasing familiarity with technology and project management and decreasing restrictiveness of, and dependence on external environments. Changes in the project management are observed to be more frequent in the design phase and are in the direction of greater complexity of structure (decentralization and specialization) and sophistication of systems. In the later phase, s trend in the direction of centralization, simplification of systems and greater emphasis on behavioural processes is observed. The pattern slightly differs in the high and the low uncertainty projects. The high uncertainty projects tend to develop an emphasis on behavioural processes in the initial phase itself, while these are emphasized in the low uncertainty project in the later phase. Performance of the projects, in terms of time and cost overrun, achievement of specified quality, and overall effectiveness, is found to be related to the nature of uncertainty conditions, as well as to the strategic choices of the top management. The high uncertainty projects tend to use a variety of mechanisms to achieve a high level of quality, while the low uncertainty projects seem to have achieved a higher level of performance under relatively simple and informal modes of project management. The developmental objectives and policies, procedural controls and slow decision-making in the joint public sector projects seem to have lowered the performance level of the high uncertainty project. The implications for organization and project management theory and practices are drawn on the basis of these findings.