Project Steering Committee members and project success: a quantitative study on individual responsibilities, shared goals and mutual trust

What the paper says

Purpose Projects that pose high risks to the funding or owning organizations, or those that require support, need oversight by senior managers. This is typically conducted through a Project Steering Committee (PSC). PSC members each have individual responsibilities stemming from the permanent and temporary (project) organizations. The PSC needs shared goals and mutual trust to balance those responsibilities. The relationship between PSC members acting according to individual responsibilities, shared goals, mutual trust and project success is unclear. This paper quantitatively tests these relationships and verifies the use of roles for members. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model of the relationship between PSC members acting according to individual responsibilities and project success is tested using a survey with 178 valid responses. Additionally, the survey gathers opinions of PSC members and project managers on PSCs. Findings PSC members acting from individual responsibilities positively affect project success regardless of the degree of shared goals and mutual trust. Four representation roles are generally covered: funders, user groups, suppliers and groups that maintain the project’s products. Originality/value The study is unique in including PSC members as respondents. PSC members are agents for their stakeholder group and, at the group level, for the funding and owning organization. The study confirms the value of four stakeholder-representation roles for members. It emphasizes the importance of defining clear and distinct individual responsibilities for members, rather than focusing solely on shared goals and mutual trust.