Relationship Between Information System Project Characteristics and Project Management Activities: An Empirical Investigation

The activities of a project manager in overseeing the development of a software system are many and varied. Not all such activities are performed in managing every project. If so, a natural ensuing question is whether project managers adapt their managerial functions to the projects being managed. Prior research suggests that they do adapt, and that project characteristics may be the factors determining this adaptation. This assertion is investigated by considering three characteristics of a project (size, type, and environment) and investigating their association with four traditionally recognized management functions (planning, organizing, controlling, and motivating). Results indicate that project managers do modify some managerial functions based on size and type of the project but not based on the environmental characteristics of the project.