# A Perspective-Based Understanding of Project Success

**Authors:** Laurie McLeod, Bill Doolin, Stephen G. MacDonell  
**arXiv:** [2101.05425](https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.05425)  
**Date:** 2021-01-14  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/arxiv-id/2101.05425v1/

## Key points

- Authors address the need for alternative approaches to studying project management
- Focus on evaluating project success from a subjectivist perspective
- Conducted an in-depth, longitudinal case study within a large manufacturing company
- Goal was to understand how different project stakeholders subjectively perceived the outcome of the project and what evaluation criteria they used
- Developed a conceptual framework for analyzing formal and informal evaluations of project success
- Emphasizes the influence of stakeholder perspectives on perceived outcomes and how these evaluations may vary over time
- Findings contribute to understanding project success evaluation by considering subjective viewpoints and diverse stakeholder perspectives
- Organizations can gain valuable insights into how stakeholders perceive project outcomes and make informed decisions based on these evaluations
- Research offers an alternative approach to studying project success and sheds light on subjective nature of evaluations
- Provides a framework for analyzing evaluations from different stakeholder perspectives
- Helps organizations better understand how stakeholders view projects' successes or failures and inform decision making processes related to future projects

## Summary

In their research article titled "A Perspective-Based Understanding of Project Success," authors Laurie McLeod, Bill Doolin, and Stephen G. MacDonell address the need for alternative approaches to studying project management. They specifically focus on evaluating project success from a subjectivist perspective. To investigate this topic, the authors conducted an in-depth, longitudinal case study within a large manufacturing company that involved information systems development. The goal was to understand how different project stakeholders subjectively perceived the outcome of the project and what evaluation criteria they used in forming their perceptions. Through their research, the authors developed a conceptual framework that provides insights into analyzing both formal and informal evaluations of project success. This framework emphasizes the influence of stakeholder perspectives on the perceived outcomes of a project and highlights how these evaluations may vary among stakeholders over time. The findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of project success evaluation by considering subjective viewpoints and diverse stakeholder perspectives. By recognizing the importance of these factors, organizations can gain valuable insights into how different stakeholders perceive project outcomes and make informed decisions based on these evaluations. Overall, this research expands on existing knowledge in the field of project management by offering an alternative approach to studying project success. It sheds light on the subjective nature of evaluations and provides a framework for analyzing these evaluations from different stakeholder perspectives. This allows organizations to better understand how different stakeholders view projects' successes or failures and use this information to inform decision making processes related to future projects.