Towards an Integrative, Multilevel Theory for Managing the Direct and Indirect Impacts of IT Project Success Factors

Practitioners and researchers have identified numerous variables that impact IT project success. Rather than adding new variables, we attempted to reduce them to a more generic model. First, we identified potential factors, hypothesized about the relationships between the factors and then integrated the hypotheses into a research model. In addition to project level factors, we identified IT, business, and environment level factors. The model is thus multilevel but also integrative as it hypothesizes about the relation-ships between the model factors. Finally, we empirically evaluated the hypotheses and the research model. We used survey data of 249 CxOs for the empirical evaluation. Results confirmed that the research model factors contributed directly and indirectly on the success of IT projects. According to our findings, a favorable financial situation, highly-perceived importance of IT, and good IT and IT project competencies have especially significant positive impacts on IT project success.