FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE - TOWARD A TYPOLOGY OF PROJECT-MANAGEMENT STYLES

Research literature on the management of projects has been quite slow in its conceptual development and still suffers from a scanty theoreti cal basis. One of the main impediments in the study of projects has be en the absence of constructs and the little distinction that has been made between the project type and its managerial and organizational st yle. Based on the findings in a field study of 26 case projects, this research shows that there is a need to adopt a more project-specific c ontingency approach to project management in organizations. This study explores a two dimensional theoretical model for the classification o f technical (or engineering) projects. Projects are classified accordi ng to four levels of technological uncertainty at the time of project initiation and three levels of system scope, which is their location o n a hierarchical ladder of systems and subsystems. Considerable differ ences were found in management style, project organization, and operat ional practice when moving along each of the model's two axes, Differe nces also were observed in simultaneous change in both dimensions, The findings suggest a handful of practical and managerial implications, They are based on the premise that a proper project classification pri or to project initiation and a carefully selected management style may lead to better implementation and to an increased chance of project s uccess.