Monique Aubry

A Multi-Phase Research Program Investigating Project Management Offices (PMOS): The Results of Phase 1

Over the last decade, the project management office (PMO) has become a prominent feature in many organizations. Despite the proliferation of PMOs in practice, our understanding of this phenomenon remains sketchy at best. No consensus exists as to the way PMOs are or should be structured nor as to the functions they should or do fill in organizations. In addition, there is no agreement as to the value of PMOs. Despite the importance of this phenomena and the lack of understanding, there has been very little research on this topic. A three-phase research program has been undertaken in order to develop a better understand of PMOs. This paper presents the research strategy, the overall program, and the results of the first phase of the research.

A fresh look at the contribution of project management to organizational performance

A better understanding of organizational performance and the contribution that project management can make is the aim. The article adopts the “Competing Values Framework,” a rich framework that is well established both theoretically and empirically but is not well known in the field of project management. The framework is summarized and applied in an empirical investigation of the contribution of project management in general and project management offices (PMOs) in particular to organizational performance. The examination of 11 case studies revealed multiple concurrent and sometimes paradoxical perspectives. The criteria proposed by the framework have been further developed through the identification of a preliminary set of empirically grounded performance indicators. The empirical results contribute to a better understanding of the role of project management generally and PMOs specifically. They also demonstrate the usefulness of this framework for the study of project managements contribution to organizational performance.

An empirically grounded search for a typology of project management offices

This article uses an empirical contribution to better understand the project management office (PMO). PMOs are an important aspect of project management practice. Their design and management is complicated by the great variability found among PMOs in different organizations. Lack of consensus on their structure and the roles they undertake prevent the establishment of formal standards on PMOs. Having a typology of PMOs can make the great variability much more manageable. However, the typology should be grounded in reality. The aim of this article is to exploit a rich database of descriptions of 500 PMOs to identify patterns in the data that can form the bases for one or more typologies of PMOs. Data on both the organizational context and the characteristics of PMOs were explored. The search for the bases of a typology relies on the identification of statistical associations (1) between the characteristics of PMOs and characteristics of their organizational context, (2) between the different characteristics of PMOs themselves, and (3) between the performance of PMOs and the characteristics of both PMOs and their organizational context. The analysis explores each of these avenues successively in the search for characteristics that are good or poor candidates for forming the basis of a typology of PMOs. The results of the analysis are then integrated into a model.

Identifying forces driving PMO changes

Project management offices (PMOs) are dynamic organizational entities, frequently in transition from one charter and structure to the next. Within this article, we present empirical results on the nature and reasons for this transition. The article reports the second of a series of studies aimed at understanding the dynamics of PMOs. It addresses the mistaken paradigm that PMOs change because characteristics or functions in an existing PMO are wrong and require a new PMO charter or structure that can last for a long time. Instead of that, the article proposes a process view on the transformation of the PMO as being triggered by conditions within the external and/or internal context and producing outcomes in terms of impacts from the transformation. A global web-based questionnaire on PMO transitions in structure and charter yielded 184 responses. Factor analysis and correlation analyses revealed that the transition of a PMO from one configuration to the next is not a question of being right or wrong. PMOs in transition can rather be understood as a multilevel dynamic process anchored in a specific organizational context change. From the academic viewpoint, the authors believe that this research filled a large gap in the under-standing of the reasons for and nature of PMOs to transition.

A Relational Typology of Project Management Offices

This explorative article develops a relational typology of PMOs based on their roles with stakeholders. A multi-case study was used to identify the roles of PMOs in multiple-PMO settings. A three-dimensional role space allows locating the complex relational profiles that PMOs take on with respect to their stakeholders in practice. Superordinate, subordinate, and coequal roles were identified in a framework of servicing, controlling, and partnering in organizations. While servicing (subordinate role profile) and controlling (superordinate role profile) support organizational effectiveness and exploitation of knowledge, partnering (coequal role profile) creates the slack necessary for potential exploration of new knowledge.

Exploring PMOs through community of practice theory

This article explores project management offices (PMOs) through community of practice theory. Preliminary results from a national health care case study are used to confirm the legitimacy of this approach. Todays knowledge-based economy calls for mechanisms to share knowledge. The issue of making more with less is at stake in order to reuse good practices, support innovative practice, and prevent the reinvention of the wheel. Members of these communities are at the heart of the learning process. The originality of this research is that it sheds light on PMOs in a new theoretical perspective within the field of knowledge management.

Project Management Knowledge Flows in Networks of Project Managers and Project Management Offices: A Case Study in the Pharmaceutical Industry

This study investigates the knowledge flows among and between project managers and project management office (PMO) members in a pharmaceutical R&D company in China, using a mixed-methods approach. The results show that knowledge exchange happens in clusters, where each cluster forms around a PMO member. Contrary to expectations, PMO members were not identified as the most popular knowledge providers in these clusters; instead, knowledge was requested from earlier collaborators. A three-tiered model is developed for knowledge governance at the cluster level, across clusters and the link with corporate and project governance structures. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed.

Pluralism in PMO performance: The case of a PMO dedicated to a major organizational transformation

The focus of this article is on the contribution made by the project management office (PMO) to organizational performance. It explores the particular case of a PMO dedicated to a major organizational transformation within a Canadian university hospital. The national government has asked hospitals to provide strict control over their budgets through implementing strong governance mechanisms. How can PMO performance be assessed within this context? Perception of two different groups has been analyzed within a competing values framework, allowing for a combination of four different performance conceptions. Results show certain similarities in the barriers to PMO performance but, most importantly, they reveal that between the two groups a paradox exists regarding what is valued in PMO performance. Results bring empirical evidence of the application of the competing values framework to the health care sector, but also to a wide variety of industries, public or private.

Organisational project management as a function within the organisation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a theoretical framework and the preliminary results from a research programme on organisational project management. It aims at exploring how organisational project management can be conceptualised as a function within the organisation.Design/methodology/approach – The methodological framework is based on a constructivist epistemology. This research programme contains two sequential phases based on a robust mixed method. The first phase of the qualitative approach, which is the focus of this paper, includes 20 interviews with executives and middle managers.Findings – This approach is expected to be helpful in assessing the fit between organisational context, project management implementation and organisational strategy. The proposed theoretical framework draws from the exploration of organisational project management as a function. Preliminary results confirm that organisational project management can be best understood as a function within the organisation...

Ambidexterity as a competence of project leaders: A case study from two polar expeditions

This article explores the tensions between different modes of action that a project leader uses throughout the course of a project. The study examines whether these different modes can be identified and, if so, whether there is a possibility for the project leader to change modes. This is referred to as ambidexterity. Ambidexterity is explored within two polar expeditions. Results are surprising. No conclusion can be reached about the advantage of one mode over the other. But what does stand out as a discriminating factor is the possibility of using all modes throughout the project.