Critical factors affecting the planning and implementation of major projects

This exploratory study reports the results of a quantitative cross‐sectional analysis of 68 case descriptions of major projects. Variables describing the context of the projects, project planning and implementation processes, and project outcomes were coded using information contained in the case descriptions. Factor analysis was used to identify major factors associated with context, process and outcomes. The influences of context on process, and context and process on outcomes were estimated using regression. The results indicate that a number of contextual variables strongly influence aspects of the project planning and implementation process, and then indirectly influence project outcomes through the planning and implementation process. In addition, both process and contextual variables affect outcomes directly. Several conclusions of a theoretical, methodological and practical nature are drawn.