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Research on the relationship between customer bargaining power and supplier performance in supplier–customer relationships has flourished in recent decades. This study aims to empirically investigate whether product market overlap (PMO) in a supply chain moderates the effect of customer bargaining power on supplier profitability.

This study uses large-scale secondary data from multiple databases. Econometric panel data techniques are used to test the hypotheses.

The results show that PMO in a supplier–customer relationship and PMO in supplier–supplier relationships both exacerbate the negative effect of the bargaining power of customers on supplier profitability.

This study contributes to the field of supply chain management. This study brings new insights into the ongoing debate surrounding the relationship between customer bargaining power and supplier profitability. The study also contributes to the literature on supply chain networks by showing the impact of indirect supply chain relationships.

The first part of the chapter discusses the premise that “wearing many hats” impedes a professional’s ability to get successful project results in a library setting. Offering their own experience as an example, the authors explore the issues that led to the implementation of project manager as a full-time position at Hesburgh Libraries. Part two of the chapter offers practical suggestions for incorporating a project management office (PMO) into a library setting. It includes the definition of the virtual PMO model, how this model fits into the organizational structure, and why this model might be preferred in a library environment. It includes descriptions of basic project management tools, techniques, and methods as well as graphic representation of division and overlap of responsibilities.

The methodology of this chapter is based on a review of the literature as well as a description of the authors’ experience with implementing project management at their institution.

Project management is a profession that requires dedicated personnel and resources. Actively involved project sponsors and dedicated project managers play a critical role in assuring project success. Basic project management tools, techniques, and approaches can be successfully implemented in libraries.

Full-time project management in libraries is still a novel concept. Readers will benefit from Hesburgh Libraries’ implementation of new methodology and learn about tools and approaches to introduce project management in their organizations.

Previous studies have found that a proactive market orientation (PMO) has a positive effect on product differentiation and innovation and that the effect is contingent on various factors. However, the influence of logistics on the positive relationship between PMO and product differentiation has received scant attention in marketing research. To fill this research gap, this paper aims to introduce the concept of postponement as a basic logistics strategy, currently used by many firms, and examine the interaction effect of PMO and postponement on new product differentiation.

Drawing on the exploration–exploitation literature, the authors considered PMO and postponement as types of exploration and exploitation, respectively. The authors hypothesized that postponement hampers the positive effect of PMO on product differentiation. The authors tested the hypotheses empirically by applying ordinary least squares regression to a sample of 187 brand managers in the Japanese apparel industry.

PMO is positively related to product differentiation, although the relationship is weakened when design and production systems are postponed, that is, when postponement hinders product differentiation.

Previous studies have examined market orientation and postponement (logistics) separately. However, referring to the exploration–exploitation literature, the authors built a conceptual and empirical bridge between market orientation and logistics management and proposed that this configuration is important for product differentiation.

Existing studies on project performance improvement mainly investigate project management (PM) execution processes. Limited publications investigate the project management office's (PMO) proficiency in facilitating proper PM practice. This paper identifies the key performance indicators (KPI) of PMO operations and develops a KPI-based performance management system (KPMS) for revitalising PMO performance for an engineering-service contractor (ESC).

A four-phase study was initiated at an ESC in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T). Phase-1 established historical project performance and PMO challenges via documentary analysis. Empirical data from the PMO staff and management was acquired at Phase-2 to determine PMO process value-drivers and strategic roles. Phase-3 comprised the development of a modified PMO process and the KPMS, whereas Phase-4 evaluated the efficacy of the PMO process and the KPMS framework in a trial period.

The ESC's existing PMO process lacked significant value-drivers of its PM practice. The company also overlooked strategic PMO roles. Trial implementation of the modified PMO process achieved improved project performance, which stakeholders attributed to the value-driven processes and guidance provided by the KPMS. The KPMS, when used in tandem with Earned Value Management (EVM) index score review revealed core performance aspects that could facilitate continuous improvement of the PMO process at the ESC.

Findings provide an adequate basis for policy creation regarding PMO performance evaluation and guidance for companies contemplating a similar endeavour. A viable model for PMO performance management and improvement is proffered. The findings and the model would provide a platform for subsequent research in the areas of PMO development and business process improvement.

This is the first study conducted to obtain management and practitioners' inputs on developing a PMO performance management framework in a project-based contractor organisation in T&T. Various PMO challenges and implications of improvements specific to engineering-service contractors and similar organisations were determined.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the environmental conditions (i.e. competitive intensity) under which a pure strategy or an ambidextrous strategy of implementing responsive market orientations (RMOs) and/or proactive market orientations (PMOs) is more advantageous for firm’s performance.

Drawing upon the market orientation (MO) and strategy literatures, the authors test the study’s model empirically using a sample of 308 US-based firms operating in industrial markets. All measurement items are taken from the widely used maturity scale which has been confirmed in the literature.

The empirical results suggest that when the competitive intensity is high, pursuing a purity strategy of RMO while decreasing PMO is the best course of action. On the other hand, balancing between RMO and PMO (implementing a strategy of ambidexterity) can increase firm’s performance in a low competitive intensity environment.

This study aims to contribute to the existing MO literature in several ways: first, this study advances the MO literature by emphasizing the moderating role of competitive intensity on the effects of different MO strategies (purity or ambidextrous MO strategy); second, this study focuses on the firms operating in industrial markets and informs managers on how to adopt RMO and PMO under different level of competitive intensity; third, this study is the extended research of the prior study published in this journal (Wang et al., 2013), which examined the environmental antecedents of adopting RMO and PMO.

First, firms operating in industrial markets should increase RMO, while at the same time decrease PMO, in a highly competitive intensity environment. Second, companies should pursue both RMO and PMO at the same time in a low competitive intensity environment. Balancing between RMO and PMO can improve firms’ performance in a low competitive intensity environment.

This study contributes to the industrial business and marketing literature by sharpening the theoretical understanding of the impact of RMOs and PMOs on firm’s performance. It also offers practical insights to managers of industrial firms on when to adopt RMOs and/or PMOs under different levels of competitive intensity.

This study seeks to draw on the strategy implementation approach and the resource‐based view of the firm (RB theory) to investigate the relationships among competitive strategies (i.e. differentiation and cost‐leadership), responsive market orientation (RMO), proactive market orientation (PMO) and firm performance. The purpose is to show that competitive strategies have a significant effect on market orientation and market orientation has a significant effect on firm performance.

The paper designed a mail‐survey that was sent to senior executives, which resulted in 189 usable surveys. Data were analysed using partial least squares (PLS) to test the hypotheses.

The findings show that both competitive strategies influence RMO and PMO, which then influence firm performance. However, the results show that differentiation strategy has a stronger influence on RMO and PMO than cost‐leadership strategy, and that PMO has a stronger influence on performance than RMO.

The study examined one set of capabilities (RMO and PMO); research opportunities exist for identifying other firm capabilities (e.g. organisational learning) and their relationships with competitive strategies.

Strategy implementation is a valid route to firm performance. Therefore, marketing managers must simultaneously develop competitive strategies and RMO and PMO to obtain increased firm performance outcomes.

The study conceptualises market orientation as RMO and PMO, and suggests that this treatment of market orientation is important in understanding its role in the competitive strategies of firms and consequent firm performance.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of project management offices (PMO) in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), in fundraising linked to projects, under the theoretical lens of the resource-based view.

Through a longitudinal analysis ex post facto study in a non-profit civil association, the authors examined by Mann-Whitney’s U tests the results before (2003-2008) and after (2009-2014) PMO implementation, to check if the office moderated the relationship between project management and fundraising for projects.

Mann-Whitney’s U tests showed that PMO had, in those periods, a statistically significant influence in increasing the number of projects and decreasing the mean value of their budgets (p-value<0.05).

Despite the wide range of studies on the contribution of PMOs to internal project management, there is a lack of empirical evidence on their moderation capacity, especially in NGOs. To fill this research gap, this study investigates the moderating role of PMO in NGOs, by examining their performance on fundraising processes, to contribute to a better understanding of potential PMO effects, particularly as a moderator of the relationship between project management and projects’ fundraising.

The Project Management Office (PMO) phenomenon is a dynamic and regularly evolving feature of the project landscape. The functions and practices expected of the PMO differ as widely as the industries and organisations, which host them. By uncovering the documented and undocumented history of the PMO and its practices the authors see how PMOs have developed to current times, how PMOs develop their ideas, how useful PMOs are, and what associated activities they partake in. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

In this paper, the authors conduct an extensive literature review of the academic and non-academic literature. The first phase involved searching academic journals and published theses. The second, deep searches with Google Scholar and Books using a variety of parameters to capture the changing nomenclature of the PMO over many years. These searches discovered lost academic literature within university libraries, examples of very early essays on the project office and numerous government reports on PMO and project office undertakings.

This research reveals how the form and use of the structure we now call the PMO has evolved and adapted over time. In recent history the PMO has evolved to be the central repository for tools and methodologies for this non-operational work. The PMO has become an asset, a commodity to be traded upon and a badge to be worn to attain certain privileges.

This research identifies a number of deficiencies in existing literature. Particularly highlighting that many practices, methods and PMO typologies exist, frequently their custodians tout these as “best practice”. Although some research has been conducted by academics on PMOs vast gaps exist in PMO literature.

This research identifies a number of assumptions in practitioner literature and professional practice. Organisations both private and public are investing enormous resources in the pursuit of enhancing project management outcomes often turning to the PMO concept to resolve their problems. However there is limited evidence to suggest PMOs create a favourable return. If the authors were to use medicine as an example, prior to a scientific approach in medicine the field relied on potions and magic, however medicine changed to evidence-based practice this has lead to enhanced life prospects. An evolution in project management doctrine may enhance outcomes.

This review of the PMO which possesses archaeological attributes in it’s historical context adds a rich understanding to organisational knowledge by considering the history of the PMO and the dramatic shifts in its purpose over a prolonged period of time. The discussion draws out the critical PMO topics to be addressed and includes a critique of practitioner and academic knowledge.

The PMO is seen as an organisational entity entrusted to instil Project Management (PM) practices and culture within an organisation and is portrayed as the focal point of PM practices and the locus where an organisation’s knowledge management and PM practices intersect. Companies within a range of economic sectors are accommodating this entity in their organisation structures. Whilst the PMO may not appear to be prevalent in the AEC sector, many of the capabilities ascribed to it do exist either separately or in aggregate within AEC organisations. This paper presents the results of a survey, explored the adoption of the PMO concept within main contractors, project management practices, and developers in the German AEC sector. It discusses the roles that this entity can play in the organisations that are aspiring to achieve a higher level of PM competency and maturity. It also investigates the success factors associated with the successful implementation of the PMO construct and reports on some of the challenges faced in implementing the entity together with potential ways of alleviating these challenges. The research identified that there was a high level of awareness of the PMO concept and that there was a high level prevalence of many of capabilities ascribed to PMOs in the organisations sampled. Many of these organisations recognised that the PMO concept as contributing considerably to knowledge management in their organisation.

Knowledge management (KM) is regarded as an essential factor in project-based organizations (PBOs), leading to organizational learning across projects. Over recent years, most PBOs have inserted project management offices (PMOs) into their hierarchical charts to manage their projects much more coherently. These offices can correspondingly provide KM facilities in PBOs. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the relationship between PMO functions and KM infrastructure, as KM enablers in organizations, in Iranian oil and gas upstream PBOs.

A two-phase quantitative survey strategy was exercised in this research. The first phase was to investigate the relationship between PMOs and KM infrastructure and to prioritize PMO functions and KM infrastructure based on their existing implementation/establishment status in Iranian oil and gas upstream PBOs. The research participants, identified through the website of the National Iran Oil Company (NIOC), were comprised of 46 oil and gas upstream PBOs which applied for exploration and production (E&P) certificate in Iran in 2016 and 2017. Accordingly, a total number of 46 questionnaires were submitted to the aforementioned companies with a return rate of 41 cases. The second phase was fulfilled questioning 19 Iranian oil and gas industry experts to determine the one-to-one effect of PMO functions on KM infrastructure and to verify the first-phase results.

The results indicated a strong relationship between PMO functions and KM infrastructure. This relationship was significant with regard to “practice management” and “technical support”, having the most considerable connections with KM infrastructure. According to the first-phase results, the main functions of PMOs in Iranian oil and gas industry were “practice management” and “technical support”. Considering KM infrastructure, “structure” showed the lowest mean value while “culture”, “human resources” and “processes and procedures” obtained the highest scores. The results also demonstrated that PMO functions could lead to more improvements in “processes and procedures”, as a sub-component of KM infrastructure, compared with other sub-components. Furthermore, the oil and gas industry experts believed that “organizational culture” in KM could be shaped by most of PMO functions.

This study fulfilled the need for exploring the relationship between PMO functions and KM since academic literature lacked a thorough investigation, to the best of authors' knowledge, pertaining to the effects of PMO functions on KM development in oil and gas PBOs.