Overcoming ignorance and the unknown in UAE projects: the role of improvisation

Alya J. Abuseem (), Udechukwu Ojiako () and Fikri T. Dweiri ()
Additional contact information
Alya J. Abuseem: University of Sharjah
Udechukwu Ojiako: University of Sharjah
Fikri T. Dweiri: University of Sharjah

International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management, 2024, vol. 15, issue 3, No 6, 897 pages

Abstract: Abstract This study sets out to examine how the effects of ignorance and the unknown in project settings can be overcome through project manager (practitioner) improvisation. Data are obtained from 389 project management practitioners drawn from a range of public, private, and semi-government entities/organizations within the emirate of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates). Sampling is undertaking using an 11 factor ‘ignorance–unknown–improvisation’-focused questionnaire developed from the literature. The variables considered as moderators include ‘self-efficacy’, ‘behavioral integration’, ‘experience’, ‘teamwork quality’, ‘real-time information’, ‘communication’, ‘memory’, ‘knowledge creation’, ‘knowledge sharing’, ‘utilization of documented knowledge’, and ‘age’. Analysis of the data is via Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference Systems (ANFIS). The findings of the study suggest the existence of four variables (‘experience’, ‘teamwork quality’, ‘memory’, and ‘age’) that serve to influence the improvisation-based practices that project management practitioners/managers are likely to employ when seeking to overcome the effects of ignorance and the unknown in projects. The findings from the study do facilitate the development of an improvisation-awareness typology that is leaning towards facilitating project management practitioner efficacy as relates to improvisation.

Keywords: Ignorance; Improvisation; Project management; Project success; Unknown (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13198-023-02165-y Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:ijsaem:v:15:y:2024:i:3:d:10.1007_s13198-023-02165-y

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/engineering/journal/13198

DOI: 10.1007/s13198-023-02165-y

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management is currently edited by P.K. Kapur, A.K. Verma and U. Kumar

More articles in International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management from Springer, The Society for Reliability, Engineering Quality and Operations Management (SREQOM),India, and Division of Operation and Maintenance, Lulea University of Technology, Sweden
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().