A new focus in the empirical research of manageability in projects

Abstract

The outcomes of complex projects regularly reveal the failure of management, when trying to control them towards a predicted outcome. This article reports on a study looking at the emergence of unmanageability in these projects. It takes as a point of departure that the occurrence of unmanageability cannot be attributed to a limited set of discernible decisions, but instead depends on broad trade-offs, often with double bind character. This then leads to the observation that a different approach is also needed to fight unmanageability. While individual trade-offs do not necessarily lead to unmanageability, the research identifies patterns of trade-off outcomes that can cause a project to spiral out of control. Finding coherence towards more manageable projects is shown to be difficult though, since the trade-offs are made separately in different phases of the project and on different levels in the project hierarchy. This article does make a case for more awareness of the coherence of trade-offs by referencing later phases in time and more operational levels in the hierarchy, and suggests aids to achieve higher manageability using such coherent approach.