A Customizable Model for Improving IT Project Success: Literature Review

A customizable project management, organization structure and leadership style model for
improving IT project success – Literature review
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Introduction
Every company has its own set of methods or techniques and practices that it uses to accomplish
the objectives of a project with the aid of a project manager and project structure. However, not
all the tools and techniques used are useful for the project management. Some of the project
managers do not carry out their roles effectively. Therefore, no leadership style could be said to
be the best for project management. This depends on the project. When planning to do a project,
forming a project structure or project team is necessary in order to accomplish the task through
effective communication. The hierarchy of the team cannot also be specified because the
structure depends on the project roles assigned. This literature review evaluates these three
constraints and how they determine the success of an Information Technology project.
Analysis and Evaluation
Project management tools analysis
A survey was done to analyze project management and how project management tools influence
the success of a project. The respondents identified the critical aspects that determined the
success of their projects. From the analysis, the outcome was that only a selected number of tools
are used in project management (White and Fortune, 2002). There are traditional and
nontraditional project management tools. Another survey was conducted in Project Management
Institute (PMI) to evaluate the use of project management tools. The findings of the survey
identified the commonly used tools, their level of usage, how they are used, their adequacy and
how training of the tools is offered (Fox and Spence, 1998). The commonly used tools are Gantt
charts, Critical Path Analysis, Logic Network, Pert charts, Product Breakdown structure (PBS)
and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). Gantt charts and PERT charts are the most used tools

for project management that could be used manually or by use of commercial software. PERTS
and CPM differ in terms of how times of tasks are computed. The PMI offers tutorials for its
users. The level of usage depends on the business needs the user specifies. Project management
tools have evolved to web-based systems. Hosting project management applications has also
become a trend (Maserang, 2002).
Project management tools like CPM and PERTS help in planning during project initiation,
budgeting, management of time using Gantt charts and preparations for future projects due to the
plans previously made using the tools. This saves on costs and time (O’Brien, 2017). However,
tools that require commercial software are costly. Small projects do not need project
management software because the software might complicate the project.
Leadership styles analysis and evaluation
Having different project management techniques requires different management styles as well. A
research done to determine if each project type requires different leadership style produced
findings showing that a specific project requires a specific leadership style. The main leadership
styles according to Ahsan, Muhammad and Yasin, (2016) include laissez-faire, transformational
and transactional. Each style is effective depending on the stage in the project’s life cycle.
The diagram below shows the leadership styles, types of project team and project life cycle
according to Tuner and Muller, (2006).