Practice of project control under different levels of complexity in engineering projects

: Vuorinen L, Martinsuo M

: 2016

: EURAM (European Academy of Management) conference 2016

: https://researchportal.tuni.fi/en/publications/517d4197-fc56-4da8-a9db-b5491e2d3a34

Different projects require different management practices. Project control has been identified as increasingly relevant as the scope and complexity of the project and project deliverable increases. Earlier research has identified several antecedents of control differences in different projects. However, one central contingency of a project, project complexity, has received little focus in project control discussion. In addition, earlier research has focused on project control particularly in the context of information systems (IS) projects. This study explores the different approaches to project control across projects with different degrees of complexity. A qualitative embedded case study is carried out in an engineering industry firm delivering customer-specific systems and solutions. The results on the three different delivery project cases show, how the relative importance of social clan control and the intensity of control increases with the more complex projects. In addition, the importance of input control, collaborative and multi-directional control and control ambidexterity in complex projects are also highlighted. The study contributes by following a contingency approach to project management research and by obtaining results from a context seldom covered by the project control literature.