Role of IT and KM in improving project management performance

Abstract

Purpose Research has shown that it is not easy to associate information technology (IT) and knowledge management (KM) with business performance. The paper aims to propose that this difficulty of associating IT and KM with business performance can be extrapolated to project management performance. Design/methodology/approach Given that research integrating all three disciplines – IT, KM, and project management – is sparse, the authors use an inductive and grounded approach, complemented by past research findings, to develop a research model. They developed a model using the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) methodology, and employed ISM because it helped to not only integrate both qualitative and quantitative variables but also allowed the authors to capture the shared mental models of practitioners – who formed the empirical basis of this research. Findings The paper shows that the drivers of project management (PM) effectiveness can be categorized into distinct groups – of which some are easier to manage compared to the others Research limitations/implications The authors current study is limited to one organization and therefore, the generalizability of this research is limited. Future research efforts should expand this study to more organizations and in various geographical locations to validate and obtain generalizable results. Originality/value The paper helps the reader to understand the role of IT and KM in the context of improving project performance.