Unlocking project success: investigating how senior management support affects the performance of project management and benefits management in IT projects

Although there are studies in the literature on the relationship of project management and benefits management with project success, there is a distinct lack of studies incorporating the role of senior management support. Therefore, this research study develops a theoretical model and investigates how senior management support affects the relationship between project management, benefits management, and project success. In this empirical study, we employed random sampling to distribute an online survey questionnaire to 210 project managers, project directors, and IT (information technology) project team members in Pakistan. As a result, 181 responses were received from the respondents giving a response rate of 85%. The results from regression analysis indicate a significant and positive impact of project management and benefits management on the success of IT projects, thereby emphasizing the value of these practices in organizations. Also, the findings of hierarchical regression reveal that senior management support strengthens the relationship between project management and project success, underscoring the importance of senior management in the project lifecycle process. However, the relationship between benefits management and the success of IT projects is found to be insignificant in the presence of senior management support. Finally, the study provides theoretical and practical implications relevant to practicing engineering managers, and future research directions.