Discourses and Theoretical Assumptions in IT Project Portfolio Management: A Review of the Literature

These years increasing interest is put on IT project portfolio management (IT PPM). Considering IT PPM an interdisciplinary practice, this paper conducts a concept-based literature review of relevant articles across various research disciplines. It finds and classifies a stock of 107 relevant articles into four scientific discourses: the normative, the interpretive, the critical, and the dialogical discourses, as formulated by Deetz (1996). It finds that the normative discourse dominates the IT PPM literature, and few contributions represent the three remaining discourses, which unjustifiably leaves out issues that research could and most probably should investigate. In order to highlight research potentials, limitations, and underlying assumptions of each discourse, this paper develops four IT PPM metaphors. Its metaphors can be used by practitioners to articulate and discuss underlying and conflicting assumptions in IT PPM, serving as a basis for adjusting organizations’ IT PPM practices. Discourses and Theoretical Assumptions in IT Project Portfolio Management: A Review of the Literature