Causes of failures in project management: Analysis and inductive evidence based on case study research

The goal of this study is to examine the causes of project-level failure. In particular, the paper suggests typologies of failure in phases of project management associated with limited information and bounded rationality by organizations to achieve difficult goals and face environmental turbulence (increasing complexity and dynamism leading to increasing uncertainty). The main case study clarifies theoretical conceptualization, describing determinants of failure in project management of antibody drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, Mars Climate Orbiter, Boeing 737-MAX, bridge and building collapses and finally in the ICT industry (e.g., in streaming platform, a cloud-streaming gaming console, etc.). Two basic strategies to face failure in project management are suggested: the first is Strategic Learning with Argyris’ approach of a) single-loop learning in organizations that detects minor errors in the phases of project development and changes the actions to minimize deviations and difference between expected and obtained objectives/results, maintaining the design intent and current routines in organization; b) double-loop learning in the presence of major errors to support radical change in organizational and managerial behaviour to re-design project management to be effective to achieve goals. The second approach is strategic adaptation when an organization learns how to adapt when it is continuously subjected to internal and/or environmental change, such that it increases the ability to maintain its efficiency under different conditions. This study clarifies factors determining failure in project management to support best practices directed more effectiveness in achieving intermediate objectives and final goals for the competitive advantage of firms.