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Title:
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INVESTIGATING THE SOURCES OF DIFFICULTIES IN MANAGING PROJECT INTERDEPENDENCIES: A STUDY OF IT/IS PROJECT PORTFOLIOS |
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Author(s):
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Sameer Bathallath, Åsa Smedberg, Harald Kjellin |
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ISBN:
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978-989-8533-50-0 |
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Editors:
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Miguel Baptista Nunes, Pedro Isaías and Philip Powell |
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Year:
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2016 |
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Edition:
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Single |
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Keywords:
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Project portfolio management; project interdependencies management; IT/IS projects; multi-project management; complexity. |
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Type:
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Full Paper |
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First Page:
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71 |
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Last Page:
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82 |
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Language:
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English |
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Cover:
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Full Contents:
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click to dowload 
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Paper Abstract:
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Interdependencies between projects have come to play a more active role in the decision on Information Technology/Information Systems (IT/IS) portfolios and their constituent projects. However, managing these interdependencies can be a complex task, especially when there is a high degree of uncertainty and many interdependencies between the projects. In times of unexpected events, portfolio managers may face challenges not only from handling the impact on the projects but also from handling the subsequent effects on the interdependencies of these projects. This may threaten the project portfolio from achieving its final goal. This paper presents an exploratory study aimed at investigating the sources of difficulties and challenges associated with the implementation of project interdependencies. We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with managers from four leading organizations in Saudi Arabia. The findings reveal three main categories of factors that increased the difficulty of managing project interdependencies in IT/IS project portfolios: 1) Insufficient understanding of human responsibilities in the whole portfolio, 2) Environmental change and 3) Technology constraints. |
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