Work that Relationship: Investigating Top Management Support via Top and Project Manager Relationships in Software Development Projects

High rates of failure are reported for software development projects and top management support has been identified as a critical factor in avoiding such failure and achieving project success. However, there has been little in-depth examination of what exactly is meant by “top management support” and how it can be realized. This study investigates top management support in the context of the relationship between a project manager and his/her immediate senior (top) manager. Prior literature was used to develop a framework that characterizes the relationship between project and top management. The framework was tested and refined using the data gathered in an exploratory study involving interviews with project managers and their top managers in five organizations. The framework shows promise for deeper understanding of top management support in the context of top and project manager relationship. The ten important attributes of the relationship identified in the framework are communication, documentation, leadership, decision making, governance structures, governance processes, resourcing, education, managerial engagement and time management.