Turner's five-functions of project-based management and situational leadership in IT services projects

Abstract This paper reports on the research conducted in one of the divisions of Europe's largest IT consultancy. This study aims to investigate (1) the critical elements of managing IT services projects by using Turner's (Handbook of project–based management, 2nd ed, England, McGraw–Hill Publishing, 1999) five-functions model to examine the relationships between project definition and scope, project organisation and the triangle of critical project outcomes and (2) if the project leader's orientation is related to his situational perception of project control. Although the survey has found only partial support for the proposed relationships, it has also identified the importance of personal attributes and contingent experiences on the leader's perception of project success. More significantly, the evidence that time and quality, rather than time and cost, are the two most critical project objectives reflects the industry shift of concern from being contractors to solution-partners.