Theoretical background and research hypotheses

One of the main schools in project management is the success or critical success factors, aimed at assessing managerial or organizational factors that lead to either success or failure in project management, and examine the reasons for successes and failures. The success of a project is related to the ability to achieve the proposed goals.

Project goals have traditionally been depicted in the form of a triangle representing time, cost, and quality; which is illustrative because it clearly represents how a change in any of these factors impacts the two others. Nevertheless, some authors have argued that the triangle is only a simple depiction of the complex interactions between the goals of most projects, and the feelings of stakeholders involved. In this sense, Agarwal & Rathod suggest that customer satisfaction with the project is also a critical aspect of success. Rodríguez-Segura et al. stated that the classification of project success is a multidimensional construct that depends on many factors; however, it should be considered mainly the client/user perspectives, and the firm's project policies.

Given the existence of these different factors, when analyzing development project managers in an Ethiopian non-governmental organization, Aga et al. noted that team-building and the effect of transformational leadership contributed to project success. When investigating Spanish firms, Cobo-Benita et al. found that relationships within partnerships with national and international companies favored success in a project's performance.

A problem that many companies have with project management is that project success is often defined very strictly. If a project is on time and on budget it is considered a success, even though project criteria should also include the company's strategic objectives. Given this scenario, Shenhar & Dvir developed the diamond model - a multidimensional model to measure project success. The diamond model, in addition to considering the traditional dimensions of success (efficiency, cost, time, etc.), also considers four other dimensions: impact on customer, on-time completion, business success, and preparation for future.