Innovation in Project Management: Research Proposal

This research proposal evaluates the importance of innovation in project management and the different processes by which innovation can be brought about in the different elements of project management. The research aims to identify the innovative practices in the field of project management and how they can enhance the future of project management. The significance of the study is to understand the importance of the innovative practices in project management and to develop new practices that will enhance the future trends in project management. The preliminary literature review discusses the importance of project management, the significance of innovation in project management, and the benefits of innovation in project management.

PPMP20015: Assignment 2 - Research Proposal
Unit Coordinator: Dr Samer Skaik
Research Proposal: Innovation in project management
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note
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PPMP20015: Assignment 2 - Research Proposal
Unit Coordinator: Dr Samer Skaik
Research Project Topic
Innovation in project management
Abstract
The research project that is to be undertaken will evaluate the concept of Innovation in project
management. Project management can be defined as a process of initiating, planning, controlling
and closing of the projects. Proper project management approach helps in successful completion
of a project and therefore, the need of innovation in project management is very high. The purpose
of this research project is to evaluate the importance of innovation in project management and the
different process by which innovation can be brought about in the different elements of project
management. The research study has been undertaken in order to identify the importance of the
innovative practises in project management. The importance of the innovative practices is needed
to be evaluated in order to enhance the process of project management. This research proposal
will be evaluating the rationale and the significance of the research study and will propose the
research approaches that will be used in conducting this research. The research proposal will
identify the research questions answers to which will be evaluated in the research. The choice of
an appropriate research methodology is important for successful conducting a research and this
proposal will identify the research approach and the research methodology that will be used for the
final research.
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PPMP20015: Assignment 2 - Research Proposal
Unit Coordinator: Dr Samer Skaik
1. The rationale of the study
Project management is very important in ensuring the success of a project. The different
components of project management, which are scope, scheduling, planning helps in proper
execution of a project. However, with the increase in the complexity of the project and the project
management approaches, integration of the project management approach with technology and
innovation is essential. Therefore analysing the benefits of innovation in the project management
approaches is necessary. For that, the issues associated with the innovation in project
management are needed to be evaluated. Innovation is needed in project management
irrespective of the type of the project or the size of the organization that is implemented in the
project. Innovation in project management in necessary in order to address the different risks
associated with the project. The innovative approaches in project management are needed in
progressively elaborating the scope of the work and proper monitoring of the project. Proper
evaluation of project scope is necessary in order to develop a feasible project plan which would
otherwise not b possible. It is therefore necessary to evaluate the issues and the need of
innovation in project management. Use of innovative approaches of project management helps in
addressing the different risks associated with a project and further helps in addressing those risks
in an effective manger. The topic of innovation in project management is not new, however, the
researches that are led on this topic does not adequately addresses the importance of the
innovative practises in project management. The research project will identify the innovative
practises in the field of project management. The use of innovative approaches of project
management is not new; however, the research aims at finding the innovative approaches that can
possibly enhance the future of project management. The innovation in project management is
therefore a leading topic that is needed to be evaluated and this research project aims at analysing
the significant issues that can be a problem in path of innovation in project. The research study will
identify the innovative approaches by which a project can be managed. The concept which was
originally developed in mid 20th century has become one of the distinctive ways of managing a
business or managing a project and therefore, researches are needed to be done in order to
evaluate how innovation can enhance the process of managing a project within an organizational
context. Innovation in business can be profitably used in order to bring in certain changes in the
traditional processes of project management. Since the project management approach is different
in every project, it is necessary to evaluate how innovation in project can help in successful
execution of the project. In this research project, an attempt is made to conceptualize the
innovation process in project management. The different concept and the elements will be
evaluated in this research in order to identify the importance of the innovative practises in project
management and the process by which innovation in project management can be achieved.
2. Significance of the study
It is necessary to study about the innovation in project management as project management
has gradually become a distinctive way of managing the different business activities. Proper
recognition of the role of technology and innovation in project management is needed to be
evaluated in order to understand the importance of the innovative practices in project
management. The contribution of the technological innovation in the field of project
management practices is needed to be evaluated so that even the complex projects can be
easily managed and the issues associated with such projects can be easily mitigated. The
research further aims at developing new practices that will enhance the future trends in project
management (Hornstein 2015). The importance of innovation in project management will be
evaluated in this research project which will provide a guide to the future research students and
the project managers in understanding and identifying the innovative project management
practices. The identification of the new innovative project process and innovative process of
project management is necessary in order to enhance the process by which a project is
implemented (Kerzner 2017). Therefore, the research study about innovation in project
management is significant and justified.
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PPMP20015: Assignment 2 - Research Proposal
Unit Coordinator: Dr Samer Skaik
3. Preliminary literature review
Project Management
Project management can be defined as a process of application of the knowledge skills and
different experiences of the project manager and the team members in order to achieve the
objectives identified for the project. The concept of project management can therefore be
defined as a systematic process of ensuring that a project is implemented according to the
project plan. Proper project management is needed in an organization or a particular project is
order to ensure proper project tracking and management of the associated risks of the project
(Mir and Pinnington 2014). There are a number of reasons why project management is needed
in an organization. With the use of the project management approach, the proper project plan
can be developed. The different project management methodologies ensure that a proper
project schedule and a project plan is implemented (Nicholas and Steyn 2017). The project
management further enforces and encourages team work so that a task can be completed
within a scheduled time. A proper project management in needed in every project as it
maximises the capability of the resources (Marcelino-Sádaba et al. 2014). With the use of a
proper project management approach, the different processes of the project can be easily
integrated and this is the reason every project s needs to evaluate a proper project
management approach which will help in successful execution of a project.
Why is project Management Important?
Project management is important as it ensures that the project or the product that is delivered
to the client is according to the plan and the specifications that are provided by the client
(Marcelino-Sádaba et al. 2014). Addressing the needs of the client is an important aspect of
the project management and for every project it is necessary to address the specifications of
the client. A good and a systematic project management therefore ensure that the goals
identified by the project will closely align with the strategic goals of the business of the
organization project (Mir and Pinnington 2014). Furthermore, the use of project management
ensures proper leadership is enforced in the project as a project leader is needed to guide the
team in achieving the identified goals of the project. Project management further helps in
setting up a clear focus and objectives of a project by which a project plan is delivered which is
needed to be followed throughout the project execution (Hornstein 2015). Use of a proper
project management approach helps in setting up a realistic project plan so that it can be
followed throughput the project implementation phase.
Therefore, it can be said that project management is an important aspect for both organization
and a project as the different processes and elements of project management helps in proper
execution of the project (Heagney 2016). It can be made out that project management is an
integral concept and the important need of any organization. Therefore innovation in process of
project management can help in enhancing the process by which a project is implemented in a
project project (Mir and Pinnington 2014). This research study is therefore justified as
identification of the different benefits of innovation in project management will help in easier
management of the project and bringing on certain changes and modification in the process by
which the project is implemented. The benefits of innovation in project management is needed
to be evaluated in order to understand the necessity of bringing on innovation in different
project. The following section provides an idea of the different benefits of innovation in project
management so that further researches about the innovation in project management can be
made.
Importance of Innovation in Project Management
Although the concept of innovation is difficult to define, it is not very difficult to understand the
importance of innovation in project management. According to Svejvig and Andersen (2015)
proper management of the projects are of economic importance as it not only determines
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PPMP20015: Assignment 2 - Research Proposal
Unit Coordinator: Dr Samer Skaik
whether a project can be successfully implemented or not, but also become an important way
of structuring the work process of the different organizations (Martinelli and Milosevic 2016). Te
term innovation can be defined as a process of translating an idea into a commercially viable
product and therefore, innovation has an integral place in project management (Russell and
Shiang 2012). This research is important as the traditional project management process mainly
focuses on exclusive delivery of the products and the services with defined deliverables (Lai et
al., 2014). Innovation in the project management is essential in order to make the project
management approaches more focused to the results. The newer project management
approaches mainly focuses on achievement of the results and for that innovation in the
processes of scope and schedule identification is needed. Innovation in project management is
necessary in order to address the different project management risks is a more sophisticated
manner. One of the significant benefits of innovation in project management is to ensure the
successful development and delivery of a project (Marcelino-Sádaba et al., 2014). Creativity
and innovation can be considered as magic wands that can enhance the performance of the
project (Joslin and Müller 2015). The use of innovative practices will help in discovering the
opportunities in execution of the project in a systematic approach. In order to bring innovation
in the project and the project management approaches, understanding the needs of project is
needed to be evaluated. Innovation in projects is important for different organization in order to
stay competitive (Silverman 2016). This research has been undertaken as the field that
evaluates the importance of innovation in project management is not explored much (Russell
and Shiang 2012). Various researches about the importance of innovation in management of
different business process have been done previously; however, the importance of the benefits
of innovation in project management is needed to be evaluated (Martinsuo 2013). Different
researches prove that different companies have been successful in applying a structured and
innovative project management process in order to reduce the risks associated with the project.
Therefore, it can be said that innovation in project management is important in order to improve
the success rate of the project by reducing the risks associated with the project (Bazeley 2013).
Innovation is project management is important to be evaluated in order to analyse the new
ideas that can contribute to the successful execution of a project (Mir and Pinnington 2014).
The research study about the importance of innovation in project management will identify the
different issues associated with implementation of the innovative approaches in project and its
effect on the project performance (Leal-Rodríguez et al. 2014). There are a number of issues
associated with the use of innovative approaches in project management. Innovation needs a
huge amount of monetary investments that might not be possible to afford for the small
organization. However, benefits of innovation are equal in every organization irrespective of the
organizational size. In order to identify the innovative approaches of project management it is
necessary to identify the needs of the different organization followed by choosing the
advantages of those innovative approaches in an organization (Leal-Rodríguez et al. 2014)..
The use of innovative approaches in project management will further help in proper
identification of the strategic goals of the organization. The innovative approaches in project
management will ensure that the project is implemented in a strategic manner so that the risks
in the projects in considerably reduced (Martinelli and Milosevic 2016). Innovation in project
management further helps in keeping the project team motivated as the team members will be
working in a project that will consider the use of innovative approaches in the implementation of
a project.
Innovative approaches in project management helps in quality assurance in a project. Proper
quality check is an important aspect of project management and therefore innovation in this
field will enhance the quality of the project that will in turn increase the customers’ satisfaction
(Leal-Rodríguez et al. 2014).. Therefore, innovation in project management not only adds to
the benefits of the organization but will also increase the satisfaction of the customers
associated with the project. Therefore it is necessary to properly determine the elements of
project management that should be integrated with the innovation so that the project in
consideration achieves maximum benefit. The concept of innovation in project management is
not new; however, the concept needs a further research in order to identify the innovative ways
of managing a project (Flick 2013). The success of a project largely depends on the
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PPMP20015: Assignment 2 - Research Proposal
Unit Coordinator: Dr Samer Skaik
appropriateness of the project management methodology that is chosen for a particular project.
Innovation in project management can only work if the right approach of implementation of a
project is identified (Unger et al. 2012). This research study will help in identifying the
importance of the different innovative practises that can be appropriately used in project
management. The importance of innovation in project management is needed to be evaluated
in order to develop new practises that will enhance the future trends of project management.
This research will help in gathering concrete findings about the need of innovation in different
projects and in project management.
.
4. Research question(s) and objectives
Research Questions-
What is the importance of innovative practises in project management?
How can innovation be integrated with a project management approach.
Objectives
 To understand the need of innovation in project management,
 To identify the importance of innovation in project management
 To analyse the challenges that can be faced while integrating innovation with project
management
 To recommend some strategies to enhance the future trends of project management.
.
5. Research Methodology
5.1 Research Approach
The research approach helps in determining the process by which the data will be collected
in the research. Data can be defined as a specific set of information that can be considered
useful for conducting a research (Miles et al. 2013). The choice of research methodology
and data collection strategy varies in different research project. In this research study, both
primary and the secondary data will be collected for analysis. There are mainly three
research approaches that are mainly used in research projects and these are inductive,
deductive and abductive (Brown and Stowers 2013). The deductive research approach is
chosen for this particular research study as it utilizes the theories and the hypothesis that
has been already set up. Since this research project will be considering for primary and
secondary research methodology, the choice of deductive research approach is appropriate
for the project. The deductive approach encourages a researcher in making direct
investigation of the identified problems along with the viable utilization of the past resources
in order to support the primary research. Therefore, the choice of deductive approach in
performing this research study is suitable in consideration with the said project.
5.2 Data collection methods and analysis
Since the project will be performing both primary and the secondary research, both primary
and the secondary data will be collected for the project. The method of data collection is
mainly defined as a process of evaluating certain specific sets of information that is
considered suitable for the project. The information collected throughout the implementation
of the project will ensure that the research project is able to answer the identified research
questions. The data collection methodology can mainly be divided into two parts, which are
primary data collection methodology and secondary data collection methodology.
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PPMP20015: Assignment 2 - Research Proposal
Unit Coordinator: Dr Samer Skaik
The primary data collection methodology that is to be implemented for this research project
will incorporate the collection of information associated with the research topic from those,
who have a firsthand knowledge about the research problems. A primary data set can
mainly be gathered with the help of different approaches, that includes online survey,
interview and observation. All these methods ensure collection of data from those people
who have a firsthand knowledge about the topic or the identified problem (Lewis 2015).
For this research study, as a primary data collection approach, online surveys will be
performed in order to collect data from the people who are directly linked with project
management such as project manager. A survey questionnaire will be distributed to 50
people who are associated with project management to collect primary data set. The data
set will be analysed in order to understand why innovation is important in project
management.
Along with the primary data, this research project will collect secondary data as well.
Secondary research methodology is suitable for the researchers as a large amount of
information can be gathered from the secondary sources. However, the reliability of those
sources is needed to be checked by the researcher (Palinkas et al. 2015). The secondary
data are mostly collected from the secondary sources such as previous literatures and
research papers, annual report of the company and so on (Averill 2014). In this research,
the secondary data will be collected from the previous research papers and online journals.
With the collected data, both qualitative and quantitative research analysis will be
performed in order to find answers to the identified research questions (Bazeley and
Jackson 2013).
5.3 Ethics Statement
The ethical considerations that are associated with this research project is listed below-
1. The safety of the research participants is to be considered as an important ethical consideration
of the project.
2. It is the responsibility of the researcher to maintain the privacy of the research participants.
3. Before the online survey, the permission of the participants is needed to be taken before
proceeding with the data collection process.
4. The data that is obtained from the survey should not be tempered or modified and should be
used in its original form in the project.
6. Research project management
Project exclusions
The major exclusions of the project that will be considered are as follows-
1. The respondents for the survey will be chosen in a random manner and therefore obtaining a perfect
accuracy is not possible (Haberman 2014).
2. The research will be performed in a much constricted time and therefore it might not consider all the
aspects of innovation in project management.
3. Due to the time issues, face to face interview with the project managers of the different project will not be
possible.
In order to narrow down the negative aspects of the identified exclusions or limitations, respondents are to be
chosen from the group of people who are directly or indirectly associated with project management.
Project schedule:
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PPMP20015: Assignment 2 - Research Proposal
Unit Coordinator: Dr Samer Skaik
Deliverable Activity
ID
Activity Estimated
duration
Start
date
End
date
Logic Assigned
Resources
Start 0 Fri
01-
06-
18
Fri
01-
06-
18
This will
mark the
beginning of
the research
The
researcher
Refined research
proposal
1 Refining aim of the
research
2 Fri
01-
06-
18
Mon
04-
06-
18
Following
activity 1 the
aims of the
research will
be set
Research
team
2 Identification of
the variables,
research objectives
and questions
5 Tue
05-
06-
18
Mon
11-
06-
18
Following
sequential
approach
following
theprevious
activity
Researcher
Critical literature
review
3 Conducting
preliminary
literature review
7 Tue
12-
06-
18
Wed
20-
06-
18
Following
sequential
approach
following
the previous
activity the
literature
review will
be
conducted
Research
team
4 Milestone – Draft
Submission
0 We
d 20-
06-
18
Wed
20-
06-
18
Submitting
draft
Researcher
5 Selecting
methodology
3 Thu
21-
06-
18
Mon
25-
06-
18
Following
sequential
approach
following
the previous
activity the
methodolog
y for
conducting
the research
will be set
Researcher
and team
members
6 Selecting data
source
5 Tue
26-
06-
18
Mon
02-
07-
18
Following
sequential
approach
following
the previous
activity the
data source
of primary
and
secondary
data
collection
Researcher,
lecturer
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PPMP20015: Assignment 2 - Research Proposal
Unit Coordinator: Dr Samer Skaik
will be
conducted
Ethics clearance 7 Identifying ethical
issues
5 Tue
03-
07-
18
Mon
09-
07-
18
Important
step to be
performed
Research
team and
lecturer
8 Ethics Clearance 5 Tue
10-
07-
18
Mon
16-
07-
18
This is
needed in
order to
perform the
research in a
ethical
manner
Researcher
and
research
team
Primary data
collection
9 Choosing
respondents
6 Tue
17-
07-
18
Tue
24-
07-
18
For
collection of
data that
will be used
for research
Data
collector,
Research
team
10 Survey 10 We
d 25-
07-
18
Tue
07-
08-
18
For data
collection
Researcher,
Respondent
s
Data analysis 11 Data Structuring 10 We
d 08-
08-
18
Tue
21-
08-
18
Following
sequential
approach
following
the previous
activity
proper data
structuring
and storage
of data is
essential
Research
team
12 Analysing the
collected data
25 We
d 22-
08-
18
Tue
25-
09-
18
This will help
in obtaining
the answers
to the
research
questions
Researcher
Oral presentation 13 Preparing
presentation
5 We
d 26-
09-
18
Tue
02-
10-
18
Needed for
presenting
to lecturer
Researcher
14 Presenting to
assessor
1 We
d 03-
10-
18
Wed
03-
10-
18
For
obtaining
the
feedbacks
Researcher
Research paper 15 Compiling the
entire research
5 Thu
04-
10-
18
Wed
10-
10-
18
For final
submission
Research
team,
assessor
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PPMP20015: Assignment 2 - Research Proposal
Unit Coordinator: Dr Samer Skaik
16 Submission 2 Thu
11-
10-
18
Fri
12-
10-
18
Researcher
Project completion 0 Researcher
Risk register including analysis and response strategy
No. Risk Probability
(1 very low,
5 very
high)
Impact
(1very
low, 5
very
high)
Assessment
(impact x
probability)
Response
strategy
1 Schedule risk 3 5 15 Avoid
2 Cost risk 3 5 15 Avoid
3 Technical risk 2 3 6 Mitigate
4 Time issue 4 4 16 Accept
5 Unavailability of
respondents
5 5 25 Accept
6 Incorrect data
collection
3 5 15 Mitigate
7 Selection of incorrect
data methodology
3 5 15 Avoid
8 Data loss 1 5 5 Transfer
9 Draft rejection 2 4 8 Accept
10 Incorrect research
objectives
3 4 12 Mitigate
Stakeholder analysis:
Stakeholder Influence (ability to
effect changes)
Impacted by
project
Information needed Outcome
desired
Research
Team
High High Research Aim Positive
result
Respondents High Low Research questions Positive
result
Data collector Low Low Research questions and
questionnaire
Positive
result
Lecturer Medium High Project Positive
result
Assessor High Low Project Positive
result
Data management
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PPMP20015: Assignment 2 - Research Proposal
Unit Coordinator: Dr Samer Skaik
Data management is a process of proper structuring of the unstructured data. An excel file will be
maintained for managing the primary data. The secondary data collection will involve an extensive
literature review that will store the data obtained from the literature search. For safeguarding the
data and prevention of the unauthorised use, the data will be stored in a folder secured with
passwords so that it cannot be accessed by any unauthorized person.
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PPMP20015: Assignment 2 - Research Proposal
Unit Coordinator: Dr Samer Skaik
7. References List
Averill, J.B., 2014. Qualitative data analysis. Nursing Research Using Data Analysis:
Qualitative Designs and Methods in Nursing, p.1.
Bazeley, P. and Jackson, K. eds., 2013. Qualitative data analysis with NVivo. Sage
Publications Limited.
Bazeley, P., 2013. Qualitative data analysis: Practical strategies. Sage.
Brown, J. and Stowers, E. 2013. Use of Data in Collections Work: An Exploratory
Survey. Collection Management, 38(2), pp.143-162.
Flick, U. ed., 2013. TLeach, L.P., 2014. Critical chain project management. Artech House.
Haberman, S.J., 2014. Analysis of qualitative data: Introductory topics. Academic Press.
Heagney, J., 2016. Fundamentals of project management. AMACOM Div American Mgmt
Assn.
Hornstein, H.A., 2015. The integration of project management and organizational change
management is now a necessity. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2), pp.291-
298.
Hornstein, H.A., 2015. The integration of project management and organizational change
management is now a necessity. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2), pp.291-
298.
Joslin, R. and Müller, R., 2015. Relationships between a project management methodology
and project success in different project governance contexts. International Journal of Project
Management, 33(6), pp.1377-1392.
Kerzner, H., 2017. Project management metrics, KPIs, and dashboards: a guide to measuring
and monitoring project performance. John Wiley & Sons.
Lai, Y.L., Hsu, M.S., Lin, F.J., Chen, Y.M. and Lin, Y.H., 2014. The effects of industry cluster
knowledge management on innovation performance. Journal of Business Research, 67(5),
pp.734-739.
Leal-Rodríguez, A.L., Roldán, J.L., Ariza-Montes, J.A. and Leal-Millán, A., 2014. From potential
absorptive capacity to innovation outcomes in project teams: The conditional mediating role of
the realized absorptive capacity in a relational learning context. International Journal of Project
Management, 32(6), pp.894-907.
Lewis, S., 2015. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five
approaches. Health promotion practice, 16(4), pp.473-475.
Marcelino-Sádaba, S., Pérez-Ezcurdia, A., Lazcano, A.M.E. and Villanueva, P., 2014. Project
risk management methodology for small firms. International journal of project
management, 32(2), pp.327-340.
Marcelino-Sádaba, S., Pérez-Ezcurdia, A., Lazcano, A.M.E. and Villanueva, P., 2014. Project
risk management methodology for small firms. International journal of project
management, 32(2), pp.327-340.
Martinelli, R.J. and Milosevic, D.Z., 2016. Project management toolbox: tools and techniques
for the practicing project manager. John Wiley & Sons.
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PPMP20015: Assignment 2 - Research Proposal
Unit Coordinator: Dr Samer Skaik
Martinsuo, M., 2013. Project portfolio management in practice and in context. International
Journal of Project Management, 31(6), pp.794-803.
Miles, M.B., Huberman, A.M. and Saldana, J., 2013. Qualitative data analysis. Sage.
Mir, F.A. and Pinnington, A.H., 2014. Exploring the value of project management: linking
project management performance and project success. International journal of project
management, 32(2), pp.202-217.
Mir, F.A. and Pinnington, A.H., 2014. Exploring the value of project management: linking
project management performance and project success. International journal of project
management, 32(2), pp.202-217.
Nicholas, J.M. and Steyn, H., 2017. Project management for engineering, business and
technology. Taylor & Francis.
Palinkas, L.A., Horwitz, S.M., Green, C.A., Wisdom, J.P., Duan, N. and Hoagwood, K., 2015.
Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method
implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health
Services Research, 42(5), pp.533-544.
Silverman, D. ed., 2016. Qualitative research. Sage.
Svejvig, P. and Andersen, P., 2015. Rethinking project management: A structured literature
review with a critical look at the brave new world. International Journal of Project
Management, 33(2), pp.278-290.
Unger, B.N., Kock, A., Gemünden, H.G. and Jonas, D., 2012. Enforcing strategic fit of project
portfolios by project termination: An empirical study on senior management
involvement. International Journal of Project Management, 30(6), pp.675-685.
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