Perceptual differences between project managers and sponsors in the initiation phase of a project

The information technology industry faces a growing problem of project failures with losses estimated at billions of dollars. The purpose of the study was to determine whether sponsors´ and managers´ perceptions differ during the initiation phase of a project life cycle, and whether differences have an impact on project performance. Respondents were dyads of sponsors and managers who were members of the Washington, D.C. chapter of the Project Management Institute. Results indicated no significant differences in perceptions of project performance as long as managers and sponsors shared a common definition of project success, and these interacting sponsors and project managers tended to perceive project performance similarly. Future researchers should consider using qualitative analysis to investigate sponsors´ and managers´ perceptions of the planning and executing phases to determine whether perceptual differences are magnified or minimized in these phases, as planning and execution are more complicated than project initiation.