Success Lies in the Eye of the Beholder: A Quantitative Analysis of the Mismatch Between Perceived and Real IT Project Management Performance

Building on an earlier exploratory study, this paper investigates the drivers of the possible mismatch between traditional "real" IT project management performance criteria - quality, time and cost - and "perceived" project management performance. We use partial least squares structural equation modeling to test five main hypotheses with survey data from 248 managers with extensive IT/IS project involvement. The results demonstrate that mismatches between real and perceived project management performance indeed occur. They are predominantly driven by poor expectation management before and during the execution of IT projects, as well as by a low project sponsor commitment. A discussion of the findings and limitations, as well as suggestions for future research, conclude the article.