Sabin Srivannaboon

A Theoretical Framework for Aligning Project Management with Business Strategy

This study addresses two aspects of a topic under-researched in the strategic management literature: the alignment of project management and business strategy. Two areas of this alignment were studied: (1) The reciprocal influence between project management and business strategy, which we call the nature of the project management/business strategy alignment; and (2) the process used to align project management and business strategy. Then an empirically based theoretical framework, which highlights the impact of business strategy on project management—and the impact of project management on business strategy—as well as the mechanisms used to strengthen these alignments, was developed. This study expands on the previous, mostly anecdotal work, by using a rigorous theoretical approach to develop the proposed framework. This framework is contingent upon the type of business strategy—simple to understand and use—developed through numerous projects that are typology-free and not restricted to any particular business strategy typology, through projects that are empirically based on real-world data.

Toward a NASA-Specific Project Management Framework

Abstract: One of the most common myths in the discipline of project management is the assumption that all projects are the same and can be managed with the same set of processes and techniques. In reality, however, projects differ and “one size does not fit all.” Based on our previous research, we have learned that adapting the right approach to the right project is critical to project success; yet, very few organizations know how to distinguish among their project efforts. Furthermore, we have also learned that there is no universal framework that works effectively for all organizations. NASAs procedures suggest several distinctions among projects based on product lines and priority levels. These distinctions form a base for different approval processes. The next step will be to help managers actually manage different projects in different ways. The purpose of this research was to study several NASA programs and start identifying a framework that would work for project managers and teams in the NASA environment. We used four current projects as case studies to test the validity of potential frameworks, and have suggested an initial NASA-specific framework that could eventually lead to guidelines for tailoring project and program management to project type.

2006 Graduate Student of the Year Paper Award Winner: Linking Project Management with Business Strategy

Recognition of the strategic importance of project management in the corporate world is rapidly accelerating. One reason for this acceleration maybe a strong belief by business leaders that aligning project management with business strategy can significantly enhance the achievement of organizational goals, strategies, and performance. However, empirical literature that offers advice on how to achieve this alignment is scanty. Many companies are suffering from misaligned projects and a lack of a systematic approach to align project management with the business strategy. Although projects are the basic building blocks of organizational strategy in many companies, project management is not often recognized as a functional strategy and is rarely perceived as a business process, making the achievement of a project management/business strategy alignment even more difficult. This study addresses three aspects of an under-researched topic in the strategic management literature—aligning project management with business strategy. An empirically based theoretical framework was developed to highlight the impact of business strategy on project management (and vice-versa) and the mechanisms used to strengthen that alignment, whereas the alignment scores were calculated to quantitatively complement data from the field study. Multiple sources of data were utilized to triangulate emerging information for eight case studies covering nine projects in seven organizations (42 interviews).