In search of project classification: a non-universal approach to project success factors

In this study we attempt to answer two questions: Is there a natural way to classify projects and what are the specific factors that influence the suc cess of various kinds of projects? Perhaps one of the major barriers to und erstanding the reasons behind the success of a project has been the lack of specificity of constructs applied in project management studies. Many stud ies of project success factors have used a universalistic approach, assumin g a basic similarity among projects. Instead of presenting an initial const ruct, we have employed a linear discriminant analysis methodology in order to classify projects. Our results suggest that project success factors are not universal for all projects. Different projects exhibit different sets o f success factors, suggesting the need for a more contingent approach in pr oject management theory and practice. In the analysis we use multivariate m ethods which have been proven to be powerful in many ways, for example, ena bling the ranking of different managerial factors according to their influe nce on project success. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.