Original Research

A supportive organisational culture for project management in matrix organisations: A theoretical perspective

J. M. Morrison, C. J. Brown, E. V.D.M. Smit
South African Journal of Business Management | Vol 37, No 4 | a612 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajbm.v37i4.612 | © 2018 J. M. Morrison, C. J. Brown, E. V.D.M. Smit | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 10 October 2018 | Published: 31 December 2006

About the author(s)

J. M. Morrison, University of Stellenbosch Business School, South Africa
C. J. Brown, University of Stellenbosch Business School, South Africa
E. V.D.M. Smit, University of Stellenbosch Business School, South Africa

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Abstract

Although the need for organisational cultures to be supportive of project management is frequently expressed in the project management literature, a comprehensive explanation of what supportiveness comprises, has not yet come to light. The field of organisational culture research recognises culture as a complex and multi-dimensional topic. To date, the project management literature has taken a superficial view of culture instead. It specifically lacks progress towards a converging set of organisational culture dimensions as predictors of effective project management. Against this apparent shortcoming, a research project was launched, aiming to define the dimensions of a project management supportive organisational culture. This article presents the findings of the literature study phase of this research. Ample evidence was found, although dispersed amongst a diversity of project management research themes, to give substance to the notion and to postulate a multi-dimensional framework of organisational culture expected to be relevant to project management. The researchers make no premature claims about the conclusiveness of the proposed framework, but introduce it as a thoroughly researched hypothesis for empirical study. The study makes its contribution by converging literature evidence, previously lacking such coherence, into a consolidated organisational culture perspective. The hope is that it will spark further theory development in respect of the organisational context of project management.

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