Quality in project environments: a non‐conventional agenda

Abstract

A growing body of evidence indicates the emerging applications of projects and their role in modern businesses. The agreement over project success criteria and delivery of a quality product still remains a key managerial concern. Underlying theoretical concepts and empirical evidence presented in this report confirm that the project management body of thought is evolving beyond conventional wisdom in the field. A range of quality issues has been identified as pertinent in project environments across industrial sectors. The effectiveness of managerial responses vary. In this study, we argue for an approach to project quality problems which would effectively reflect the unique, complex and paradoxical nature of projects while recognising the constraints imposed by project stakeholders and their business environments. Subsequently, our study adopts a multiple perspective approach to project management and, on this basis, suggests a generic, total quality based “project completeness” framework to guide the implementation of case‐specific initiatives which would address, in an integrated manner, a wide range of project quality concerns. The study is exploratory, longitudinal, informed by multiple research projects and reflective cross‐industry practice, while the resulting conceptual propositions are to be further tested and improved.

Citation

Cicmil, S. (2000), "Quality in project environments: a non‐conventional agenda", International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, Vol. 17 No. 4/5, pp. 554-570. https://doi.org/10.1108/02656710010298599