Papers by Suzaan Pretorius
South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 2024
This study aims to determine the project management maturity level of four organisations in the L... more This study aims to determine the project management maturity level of four organisations in the Lesotho Water Sector. It assesses its influence on perceived project success by undertaking case studies in these organisations. It, therefore, contributes to the limited literature on project management maturity in the water sector in Africa. The results indicated that the average project management maturity was 2, with one organisation at a maturity level of 3. A total of 53% of executed projects were perceived as successful. The study found that highmaturity-level organisations tend to execute projects more successfully. Additional factors that may lead to project failure in this sector were identified. OPSOMMING Hierdie studie het ten doel om die projekbestuur-volwassenheidvlak van vier organisasies in die Lesotho-watersektor te bepaal. Dit beoordeel die invloed daarvan op waargenome projeksukses deur gevallestudies in hierdie organisasies te onderneem. Dit dra dus by tot die beperkte literatuur oor projekbestuurvolwassenheid in die watersektor en in Afrika. Die resultate het aangedui dat die gemiddelde projekbestuurvolwassenheid 2 was, met een organisasie op 'n volwassenheidsvlak van 3. Altesaam 53% van uitgevoerde projekte is as suksesvol beskou. Die studie het bevind dat hoë-volwassenheid-vlak organisasies geneig is om projekte meer suksesvol uit te voer. Bykomende faktore wat tot projekmislukking in hierdie sektor kan lei, is geïdentifiseer.
South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 2024
This paper identifies the essential support functions of project management offices (PMO) for var... more This paper identifies the essential support functions of project management offices (PMO) for various organisational project management maturity (OPMM) levels. A case study of a South African petrochemical company compares a PMO within the company with a small projects department that is not supported by a PMO. OPMM development drivers and essential PMO support functions are identified for both structures. It is proposed that the requirements of essential PMO support functions depend on the OPMM level, but are also affected by business needs. The highest OPMM level is not required for every organisation, as the optimum OPMM level depends on the specific business’ requirements.
South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 2024
A notion exists that organisations with higher levels of project management maturity execute proj... more A notion exists that organisations with higher levels of project management maturity execute projects more effectively and efficiently and so have a higher probability of achieving project success. This paper reports on a single case study that measured the project management maturity of four project management knowledge areas, and also investigated the impact of project management maturity on perceived project success in a mining operation. The study found that project management maturity plays a pivotal role in achieving project management deliverables. However, project management maturity alone is not sufficient to guarantee project success.
South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 2023
Project sponsors play significant roles at the stage gates of project life cycle models (PLCMs). ... more Project sponsors play significant roles at the stage gates of project life cycle models (PLCMs). However, research on the roles that sponsors play at stage gates, and the attributes required of the sponsor, are sparse. This study investigated the roles played by government and municipal sponsors at the PLCM stage gates of a water utility, and identified the attributes that the sponsor should have as well as the challenges they face. A case study approach was employed, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with relevant stakeholders. The findings could assist the senior management of water utilities, national government departments, and municipalities when appointing suitable project sponsors.
South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, Nov 1, 2012
Previous studies have attempted to determine how the success of South African IT projects related... more Previous studies have attempted to determine how the success of South African IT projects related to the project management maturity of the organisations that executed the projects. The study reported in this article was conducted during 2010 in the engineering and construction sectors. This paper reports on a structured questionnaire distributed to 1,625 individuals mainly in the South African engineering and construction industries, from which 255 responses were received. 'Project success' was self-defined by the respondents, who identified 'project success' within their unique environments and contexts. The bulk of the projects (46%) were considered successful. The average perceived project management maturity level was 2.88.
2022 Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET)
South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 2023
This paper explores whether organisations in a developing country have become more mature over ti... more This paper explores whether organisations in a developing country have become more mature over time in their project management practices, and compares the current state to findings from a similar study conducted in 2010. It thus contributes to the scant literature on project management maturity in developing countries. Six hundred responses to a project management maturity questionnaire were used to investigate the perceived project management success of 9 389 projects. The results indicated that the perceived average project management maturity dropped from the 2010 value of 2.88 to 2.64 in 2020. Despite this, most of the projects surveyed were still perceived as successful.
Journal of Modern Project Management, 2022
As businesses become increasingly ‘projected,’ the relationship
between project management maturi... more As businesses become increasingly ‘projected,’ the relationship
between project management maturity and project success will likely grow
more significantly. However, there is no unanimity regarding this relationship.
This article examines the association between levels of project management
maturity and project success. A structured online questionnaire was distributed
using purposeful sampling, and it was decided to end the study when
600 replies were collected for economic considerations. Using descriptive
statistics and the Kruskal-Wallis test, the hypothesis that higher levels of
project management maturity improve the likelihood of project success was
examined. The perceived project success of 9,389 projects and the project
management maturity of the participating organizations were analyzed, and
the results validated the theory. This research contributes to the little literature
on the connection between project management maturity and project success.
With the current trend towards empowered teams, hierarchical company structures are increasingly ... more With the current trend towards empowered teams, hierarchical company structures are increasingly being replaced by team-based ones. As a result, a shift in the classic understanding of leadership is needed and research on leadership in project management is increasing. Two major concepts have developed in recent years: shared and vertical leadership styles. This paper reports on the development of a new model of leadership styles that considers the effect of project types and the project life cycle phases on leadership style (vertical versus shared leadership), and how an appropriate balance between the two styles influences the likelihood of project management success. A web-based questionnaire yielded 313 complete responses and the data was analysed using hypothesis testing. Based on this empirical work, an initial conceptual model, derived from literature, was revised and a novel model proposed. The model explains how project types and life cycle phases influence the appropriaten...
The South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 2012
Previous studies have attempted to determine how the success of South African IT projects related... more Previous studies have attempted to determine how the success of South African IT projects related to the project management maturity of the organisations that executed the projects. The study reported in this article was conducted during 2010 in the engineering and construction sectors. This paper reports on a structured questionnaire distributed to 1,625 individuals mainly in the South African engineering and construction industries, from which 255 responses were received. 'Project success' was self-defined by the respondents, who identified 'project success' within their unique environments and contexts. The bulk of the projects (46%) were considered successful. The average perceived project management maturity level was 2.88.
South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 2017
It is widely accepted that project leaders should adapt their behaviour to meet the unique leader... more It is widely accepted that project leaders should adapt their behaviour to meet the unique leadership demands of a variety of situations. Recently, vertical, shared, and horizontal styles of leadership have gained prominence, especially in the project management literature. Several factors are believed to play a role in determining an appropriate balance between these leadership styles. This theoretical study explores the influence of project types, the stage in the project life cycle, organisational project management maturity, and the level of trust and collaboration between project team members on the appropriate balance of leadership styles in projects. This paper presents a conceptual framework of these factors, while empirical results will be reported on in the sequel to this paper. OPSOMMING Dit word wyd aanvaar dat leiers hulle gedrag by spesifieke situasies moet aanpas sodat die unieke leierskapvereistes wat aan hulle gestel word nagekom kan word. Vertikale, gedeelde en horisontale leierskap style is deesdae op die voorgrond, veral in projekbestuur literatuur. Verskeie faktore speel 'n rol in die bepaling van 'n geskikte balans tussen hierdie leierskapstyle. Die faktore sluit in die tipe projek, die stadium in die projeklewensiklus, die projekbestuurvolwassenheid van die organisasie, en die vlak van vertroue en samewerking tussen mense binne die projek. Hierdie artikel stel 'n konseptuele raamwerk van hierdie faktore voor, terwyl empiriese uitslae in 'n opvolgartikel gerapporteer sal word.
SAIIEneXXXt Proceedings, 30th September – 2 nd October 2019, Port Elizabeth, South Africa © 2019 SAIIE, 2019
With the current trend towards empowered teams, hierarchical company structures are
increasingly... more With the current trend towards empowered teams, hierarchical company structures are
increasingly being replaced by team-based ones. As a result, a shift in the classic understanding of leadership is needed and research on leadership in project management is increasing. Two major concepts have developed in recent years: shared and vertical leadership styles. This paper reports on the development of a new Model of leadership styles that considers the effect of project types and the project life cycle phases on leadership style
(vertical versus shared leadership), and how an appropriate balance between the two styles influences the likelihood of project management success. A web-based questionnaire yielded
313 complete responses and the data was analysed using hypothesis testing. Based on this
empirical work and relevant literature, a novel Model is proposed. The Model explains how project types and life cycle phases influence the appropriateness of different leadership styles, and it guides the practitioner to selecting appropriate leadership styles for specific situations. Recommendations for furthering the model are discussed.
South African Journal of Industrial Engineering , 2017
It is widely accepted that project leaders should adapt their
behaviour to meet the unique leade... more It is widely accepted that project leaders should adapt their
behaviour to meet the unique leadership demands of a variety of situations. Recently, vertical, shared, and horizontal styles of
leadership have gained prominence, especially in the project management literature. Several factors are believed to play a role in determining an appropriate balance between these leadership styles. This theoretical study explores the influence of project types, the stage in the project life cycle, organisational project
management maturity, and the level of trust and collaboration
between project team members on the appropriate balance of
leadership styles in projects. This paper presents a conceptual
framework of these factors, while empirical results will be reported
on in the sequel to this paper.
South African Journal of Industrial Engineering , 2018
Currently, many organisations experience challenges as a result of uncertainty, fast-changing env... more Currently, many organisations experience challenges as a result of uncertainty, fast-changing environments, globalisation, and
increasingly complex work tasks. In order to adapt to these challenges, a shift in leadership style may be needed. Traditionally,
leadership has been seen as a vertical relationship (top-down
influence). For a number of decades, this vertical leadership model has been the principal one in the leadership field; but lately, shared and balanced leadership have gained importance, especially in the project management literature. This theoretical study highlights
some differences between ‘leadership’ and ‘management’, and explores current trends in the leadership literature. It especially
focuses on vertical, shared, and balanced leadership in project
management, and identifies future opportunities for research.
Previous studies have attempted to determine how the success of South African IT projects related... more Previous studies have attempted to determine how the success of South African IT projects related to the project management maturity of the organisations that executed the projects. The study reported in this article was conducted during 2010 in the engineering and construction sectors. This paper reports on a structured questionnaire distributed to 1,625 individuals mainly in the South African engineering and construction industries, from which 255 responses were received. 'Project success' was self-defined by the respondents, who identified 'project success' within their unique environments and contexts. The bulk of the projects (46%) were considered successful. The average perceived project management maturity level was 2.88.
Previous studies have attempted to determine how the success of South African IT projects related... more Previous studies have attempted to determine how the success of South African IT projects related to the project management maturity of the organisations that executed the projects. The study, reported in this article, was conducted during 2010 in the engineering and construction sectors. This paper reports on a structured questionnaire distributed to 1625 individuals mainly in the South African engineering and construction industries from which 255 responses were received. ‘Project success’ was self-defined by the respondents who identified project success within their unique environments and contexts. The bulk of projects (46%) were considered successful. The average perceived project management maturity level was 2.88.
Thesis Chapters by Suzaan Pretorius
PhD Thesis: University of Pretoria , 2019
Leadership traditionally centred around the idea of a “person in charge” leading subordinates / t... more Leadership traditionally centred around the idea of a “person in charge” leading subordinates / team members (i.e. vertical leadership), however recent literature indicates that leadership may be shared in a team by assigning the leadership role to the person with the most appropriate knowledge, skills and abilities needed by the project at any specific time (i.e. shared leadership). Shared leadership does however, not substitute vertical leadership – the two concepts are extremes on a continuum and complement each other. Although the leadership responsibility formally rests with the project manager, it is regularly assumed by team members to lead temporarily in order to solve a technical or other issue, and then handed back to the project manager. A contemporary stream of literature defines this process as balanced leadership.
This thesis investigates how different project types and project life cycle phases may influence the choice of leadership style. It also confirms that an appropriate balance between vertical and shared leadership improves the likelihood of project management success. A new Leadership Style Model is proposed and the thesis contributes to answering the main research question:
How does the leadership style influence perceived project management success?
To answer the above over-arching question, three sub-questions were formulated and addressed in Chapters 3 to 6:
How do different project types (pace, complexity, novelty and technological uncertainty) influence the balance on the continuum between vertical and
shared leadership?
How do different project life-cycle phases (pre-execution, execution and post-execution) influence the balance between vertical and shared leadership?
How does an appropriate balance between vertical and shared leadership influence the likelihood of perceived project management success?
A web-based, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to people working on South African projects, and 313 complete responses were received. The collected
data were analysed by applying hypothesis testing techniques and cross-tabulation.
The study confirms that an appropriate balance between vertical and shared leadership styles improves the likelihood of project management success. The more
complex, and the higher the levels of technology employed, the more shared the leadership style should be. On the other hand, the higher paced projects require a more vertical leadership style. Respondents indicated that highly novel projects callfor a more vertical leadership style – this contradicted the hypothesised leadership balance -possible reasons for this deviation are provided in Chapters 4 and 6.
A further finding of the study is that during the post-execution phase, the leadership style should move towards more shared leadership than in prior stages. However,
respondents were uncertain of the influence of the other project phases (pre-execution and execution) on the appropriate balance of leadership style. Various
reasons for this uncertainty are provided in Chapters 5 and 6.
The thesis presents a new perspective on the influence of project type and project life cycle phases on the appropriate balance between vertical and shared leadership. Furthermore, it gives insights into the influence of an appropriate balance of leadership on the likelihood of perceived project management success.
The Project Leadership Style (PLS) Model presented in this thesis, explains how the variables of project types and project life cycle phases relate to different leadership
styles (vertical and shared leadership), and it also guides the practitioner to selecting appropriate leadership styles for specific project situations.
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Papers by Suzaan Pretorius
between project management maturity and project success will likely grow
more significantly. However, there is no unanimity regarding this relationship.
This article examines the association between levels of project management
maturity and project success. A structured online questionnaire was distributed
using purposeful sampling, and it was decided to end the study when
600 replies were collected for economic considerations. Using descriptive
statistics and the Kruskal-Wallis test, the hypothesis that higher levels of
project management maturity improve the likelihood of project success was
examined. The perceived project success of 9,389 projects and the project
management maturity of the participating organizations were analyzed, and
the results validated the theory. This research contributes to the little literature
on the connection between project management maturity and project success.
increasingly being replaced by team-based ones. As a result, a shift in the classic understanding of leadership is needed and research on leadership in project management is increasing. Two major concepts have developed in recent years: shared and vertical leadership styles. This paper reports on the development of a new Model of leadership styles that considers the effect of project types and the project life cycle phases on leadership style
(vertical versus shared leadership), and how an appropriate balance between the two styles influences the likelihood of project management success. A web-based questionnaire yielded
313 complete responses and the data was analysed using hypothesis testing. Based on this
empirical work and relevant literature, a novel Model is proposed. The Model explains how project types and life cycle phases influence the appropriateness of different leadership styles, and it guides the practitioner to selecting appropriate leadership styles for specific situations. Recommendations for furthering the model are discussed.
behaviour to meet the unique leadership demands of a variety of situations. Recently, vertical, shared, and horizontal styles of
leadership have gained prominence, especially in the project management literature. Several factors are believed to play a role in determining an appropriate balance between these leadership styles. This theoretical study explores the influence of project types, the stage in the project life cycle, organisational project
management maturity, and the level of trust and collaboration
between project team members on the appropriate balance of
leadership styles in projects. This paper presents a conceptual
framework of these factors, while empirical results will be reported
on in the sequel to this paper.
increasingly complex work tasks. In order to adapt to these challenges, a shift in leadership style may be needed. Traditionally,
leadership has been seen as a vertical relationship (top-down
influence). For a number of decades, this vertical leadership model has been the principal one in the leadership field; but lately, shared and balanced leadership have gained importance, especially in the project management literature. This theoretical study highlights
some differences between ‘leadership’ and ‘management’, and explores current trends in the leadership literature. It especially
focuses on vertical, shared, and balanced leadership in project
management, and identifies future opportunities for research.
Thesis Chapters by Suzaan Pretorius
This thesis investigates how different project types and project life cycle phases may influence the choice of leadership style. It also confirms that an appropriate balance between vertical and shared leadership improves the likelihood of project management success. A new Leadership Style Model is proposed and the thesis contributes to answering the main research question:
How does the leadership style influence perceived project management success?
To answer the above over-arching question, three sub-questions were formulated and addressed in Chapters 3 to 6:
How do different project types (pace, complexity, novelty and technological uncertainty) influence the balance on the continuum between vertical and
shared leadership?
How do different project life-cycle phases (pre-execution, execution and post-execution) influence the balance between vertical and shared leadership?
How does an appropriate balance between vertical and shared leadership influence the likelihood of perceived project management success?
A web-based, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to people working on South African projects, and 313 complete responses were received. The collected
data were analysed by applying hypothesis testing techniques and cross-tabulation.
The study confirms that an appropriate balance between vertical and shared leadership styles improves the likelihood of project management success. The more
complex, and the higher the levels of technology employed, the more shared the leadership style should be. On the other hand, the higher paced projects require a more vertical leadership style. Respondents indicated that highly novel projects callfor a more vertical leadership style – this contradicted the hypothesised leadership balance -possible reasons for this deviation are provided in Chapters 4 and 6.
A further finding of the study is that during the post-execution phase, the leadership style should move towards more shared leadership than in prior stages. However,
respondents were uncertain of the influence of the other project phases (pre-execution and execution) on the appropriate balance of leadership style. Various
reasons for this uncertainty are provided in Chapters 5 and 6.
The thesis presents a new perspective on the influence of project type and project life cycle phases on the appropriate balance between vertical and shared leadership. Furthermore, it gives insights into the influence of an appropriate balance of leadership on the likelihood of perceived project management success.
The Project Leadership Style (PLS) Model presented in this thesis, explains how the variables of project types and project life cycle phases relate to different leadership
styles (vertical and shared leadership), and it also guides the practitioner to selecting appropriate leadership styles for specific project situations.
between project management maturity and project success will likely grow
more significantly. However, there is no unanimity regarding this relationship.
This article examines the association between levels of project management
maturity and project success. A structured online questionnaire was distributed
using purposeful sampling, and it was decided to end the study when
600 replies were collected for economic considerations. Using descriptive
statistics and the Kruskal-Wallis test, the hypothesis that higher levels of
project management maturity improve the likelihood of project success was
examined. The perceived project success of 9,389 projects and the project
management maturity of the participating organizations were analyzed, and
the results validated the theory. This research contributes to the little literature
on the connection between project management maturity and project success.
increasingly being replaced by team-based ones. As a result, a shift in the classic understanding of leadership is needed and research on leadership in project management is increasing. Two major concepts have developed in recent years: shared and vertical leadership styles. This paper reports on the development of a new Model of leadership styles that considers the effect of project types and the project life cycle phases on leadership style
(vertical versus shared leadership), and how an appropriate balance between the two styles influences the likelihood of project management success. A web-based questionnaire yielded
313 complete responses and the data was analysed using hypothesis testing. Based on this
empirical work and relevant literature, a novel Model is proposed. The Model explains how project types and life cycle phases influence the appropriateness of different leadership styles, and it guides the practitioner to selecting appropriate leadership styles for specific situations. Recommendations for furthering the model are discussed.
behaviour to meet the unique leadership demands of a variety of situations. Recently, vertical, shared, and horizontal styles of
leadership have gained prominence, especially in the project management literature. Several factors are believed to play a role in determining an appropriate balance between these leadership styles. This theoretical study explores the influence of project types, the stage in the project life cycle, organisational project
management maturity, and the level of trust and collaboration
between project team members on the appropriate balance of
leadership styles in projects. This paper presents a conceptual
framework of these factors, while empirical results will be reported
on in the sequel to this paper.
increasingly complex work tasks. In order to adapt to these challenges, a shift in leadership style may be needed. Traditionally,
leadership has been seen as a vertical relationship (top-down
influence). For a number of decades, this vertical leadership model has been the principal one in the leadership field; but lately, shared and balanced leadership have gained importance, especially in the project management literature. This theoretical study highlights
some differences between ‘leadership’ and ‘management’, and explores current trends in the leadership literature. It especially
focuses on vertical, shared, and balanced leadership in project
management, and identifies future opportunities for research.
This thesis investigates how different project types and project life cycle phases may influence the choice of leadership style. It also confirms that an appropriate balance between vertical and shared leadership improves the likelihood of project management success. A new Leadership Style Model is proposed and the thesis contributes to answering the main research question:
How does the leadership style influence perceived project management success?
To answer the above over-arching question, three sub-questions were formulated and addressed in Chapters 3 to 6:
How do different project types (pace, complexity, novelty and technological uncertainty) influence the balance on the continuum between vertical and
shared leadership?
How do different project life-cycle phases (pre-execution, execution and post-execution) influence the balance between vertical and shared leadership?
How does an appropriate balance between vertical and shared leadership influence the likelihood of perceived project management success?
A web-based, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to people working on South African projects, and 313 complete responses were received. The collected
data were analysed by applying hypothesis testing techniques and cross-tabulation.
The study confirms that an appropriate balance between vertical and shared leadership styles improves the likelihood of project management success. The more
complex, and the higher the levels of technology employed, the more shared the leadership style should be. On the other hand, the higher paced projects require a more vertical leadership style. Respondents indicated that highly novel projects callfor a more vertical leadership style – this contradicted the hypothesised leadership balance -possible reasons for this deviation are provided in Chapters 4 and 6.
A further finding of the study is that during the post-execution phase, the leadership style should move towards more shared leadership than in prior stages. However,
respondents were uncertain of the influence of the other project phases (pre-execution and execution) on the appropriate balance of leadership style. Various
reasons for this uncertainty are provided in Chapters 5 and 6.
The thesis presents a new perspective on the influence of project type and project life cycle phases on the appropriate balance between vertical and shared leadership. Furthermore, it gives insights into the influence of an appropriate balance of leadership on the likelihood of perceived project management success.
The Project Leadership Style (PLS) Model presented in this thesis, explains how the variables of project types and project life cycle phases relate to different leadership
styles (vertical and shared leadership), and it also guides the practitioner to selecting appropriate leadership styles for specific project situations.