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The executive sponsor as key factor in megaproject success : an exploratory study
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2020
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| _version_ | 1867614119591411712 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Louw, Willem |
| author2 | Gevers, Willem Rudolf |
| author_browse | Gevers, Willem Rudolf Louw, Willem |
| author_facet | Gevers, Willem Rudolf Louw, Willem |
| author_sort | Louw, Willem |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/107834 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:58.390Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publishDateRange | 2020 |
| publishDateSort | 2020 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/107834 The executive sponsor as key factor in megaproject success : an exploratory study Louw, Willem Gevers, Willem Rudolf Wium, Jan Andries Steyn, Herman Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. University of Stellenbosch Business School. Project managers -- Psychological aspects Project managers -- Leadership Project managers -- Effectiveness Megaprojects Project management -- Effectiveness UCTD Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. ENGLISH SUMMARY : Megaprojects are defined as ‘large-scale, complex ventures that typically cost US$1 billion or more, take many years to develop and build, involve multiple public and private stakeholders, are transformational, and impact millions of people’ (Flyvbjerg, 2014, p. 6). Having these projects fail at a concerning and unsustainable rate is a major problem for the funders who invest very large sums of money in the projects. These failed projects are also troublesome for the societies in which they are being carried out, and can affect the health of the national economies of the countries involved. Executive sponsors are primarily allocated to megaprojects of strategic importance that are complex, carry a considerable degree of risk, and are highly visible. A megaproject is thus entitled to a sponsor from the executive (most senior) ranks of an organisation. Although the role of the executive sponsor is merely one of the many decisive factors in the success of megaprojects, it is an essential element that is still much neglected in project management literature. No guide for the identification of the attributes of the executive sponsor could be found in literature nor has the effect of the executive sponsor on megaproject success been studied sufficiently. A literature review led to the formulation of six propositions and provided a preliminary list of attributes required by project sponsors. From the propositions, six research questions were developed. Answering these questions ultimately attained the research aim, namely to identify the important and essential attributes of a sponsor on a megaproject. The investigation was conducted by means of a multiple-case study research design. Primary research data was acquired via semi-structured interviews and a survey questionnaire. The dissertation reports on the perceptions of 26 executives with circa 250 years of combined megaproject experience. These executives played key roles on six South African megaprojects completed since 2006. The data from the survey questionnaires was analysed through a bottom-up numerical method while the data from the semi-structured interviews was analysed with the qualitative content analysis method. The findings of the research include information on important and essential attributes that an executive sponsor should have to increase the probability of megaproject success. The single most significant attribute required is appropriate seniority, being empowered and accountable, with apposite credibility and with both personal and positional power. The list of attributes developed, and their ranking, contribute to the sparse literature on this topic and provides valuable guidelines for boards of companies and executives who appoint sponsors on megaprojects. These guidelines could contribute to the future success of megaprojects. The dissertation explains how leadership theories are used to identify instruments that can assist in the assessment of the leadership style and attributes of an executive sponsor. A framework for this is duly proposed. Implementing an approach in which the attributes of a potential megaproject sponsor are assessed is neither revolutionary nor a very difficult or costly process. It is also no ‘silver bullet’ solution to a very complicated problem – the failure of megaprojects. It does, however, have the potential to result in a very significant return on investment. Keywords: Executive sponsor, project sponsor attributes, project sponsor effectiveness, project sponsor leadership, megaproject, megaproject success. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : ’n Megaprojek word gedefinieer as ’n grootskaalse, komplekse onderneming wat tipies US$1 miljard of meer kos, etlike jare neem om te ontwikkel en te bou, veelvuldige staats- en privaat belanghebbendes betrek, transformerend van aard is, en miljoene mense beïnvloed (Flyvbjerg, 2014, p. 6). Megaprojekte misluk teen ’n kommerwekkende en onvolhoubare tempo en beskik oor die potensiaal om die welstand van nasionale ekonomieë te beïnvloed. Die situasie is problematies, nie alleen vir die befondsers wat groot bedrae geld beskikbaar maak nie, maar ook vir die gemeenskappe wat uit die projekte voordeel sou kon trek. Uitvoerende bestuursborge word hoofsaaklik aangewys vir projekte van strategiese aard wat kompleks is, ’n beduidende risiko dra, en besonders sigbaar is. Dit is dus duidelik dat ’n megaprojek geregtig is op ’n bestuursborg vanuit die uitvoerende en mees senior bestuursvlakke van ’n organisasie. Alhoewel die rol van die uitvoerende bestuursborg slegs een van etlike bepalende faktore tot die sukses van ’n megaprojek is, maak dit ’n wesenlike bydrae wat in die projekbestuursliteratuur steeds agterweë bly. Geen riglyn kon in die literatuur gevind word wat die identifisering van die eienskappe van ’n uitvoerende bestuursborg aanspreek nie. Daarby is die impak van die uitvoerende bestuursborg op die sukses van ’n megaprojek nog nie voldoende bestudeer nie. ’n Literatuurstudie het gelei tot die formulering van ses stellings en ’n lys van voorlopige eienskappe wat deur bestuursborge van projekte benodig word. Vanuit die stellings is ses navorsingsvrae ontwikkel. Die beantwoording van hierdie vrae het uiteindelik gelei tot die bereiking van die oogmerk van die navorsing, synde die identifisering van die belangrike en noodsaaklike eienskappe van ’n bestuursborg op ’n megaprojek. Die ondersoek is met behulp van ’n veelvuldige gevallestudie uitgevoer. Primêre navorsingsdata is deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en ’n opnamevraelys ingesamel. Die proefskrif doen verslag oor die waarnemings van 26 uitvoerende bestuurslui met ongeveer 250 jaar gesamentlike ervaring op megaprojekte. Hierdie uitvoerende bestuurslui het kernrolle vervul op ses Suid-Afrikaanse megaprojekte wat sedert 2006 voltooi is. Die data vanuit die opnamevraelys is met behulp van ’n opwaartse numeriese metode ontleed, terwyl die data wat vanuit die semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude verkry is met behulp van die kwalitatiewe inhoudsanalise-metode ontleed is. Die bevindings vanuit die navorsing sluit in inligting oor belangrike en noodsaaklike eienskappe wat ’n uitvoerende bestuursborg behoort te besit om die waarskynlikheid van sukses van ’n megaprojek te verhoog. Die mees beduidende eienskap benodig, is dié van toepaslike senioriteit, om bemagtig en aanspreeklik te wees met gepaardgaande geloofwaardigheid asook om oor beide persoonlike en posisionele mag te beskik. Die lys van eienskappe wat ontwikkel is, en hul rangorde, dra by tot die beperkte literatuur oor die onderwerp en verskaf waardevolle riglyne aan maatskappydireksies en uitvoerende bestuurders wat verantwoordelik is vir die aanstelling van bestuursborge op megaprojekte. Hierdie riglyne kan bydra tot die toekomstige sukses van megaprojekte. Die proefskrif verduidelik hoe leierskapsteorieë benut word om meetinstrumente te identifiseer wat kan help met die assessering van die leierskapstyle en eienskappe van ’n uitvoerende bestuursborg. ’n Raamwerk hiervoor word voorgestel. Die implementering van ’n benadering waarmee die eienskappe van ’n potensiële megaprojekbestuursborg geassesseer word, is nie revolusionêr nie en boonop nie ’n baie moeilike of duur proses nie. Dit is ook geen wonderkuur vir ’n ingewikkelde probleem nie – die mislukking van megaprojekte. Dit beskik egter oor die potensiaal om ’n beduidende opbrengs op belegging te lewer. Doctoral 2020-02-26T12:45:32Z 2020-04-28T12:05:25Z 2020-02-26T12:45:32Z 2020-04-28T12:05:25Z 2020-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/107834 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xiv, 231 pages ; illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Project managers -- Psychological aspects Project managers -- Leadership Project managers -- Effectiveness Megaprojects Project management -- Effectiveness UCTD Louw, Willem The executive sponsor as key factor in megaproject success : an exploratory study |
| title | The executive sponsor as key factor in megaproject success : an exploratory study |
| title_full | The executive sponsor as key factor in megaproject success : an exploratory study |
| title_fullStr | The executive sponsor as key factor in megaproject success : an exploratory study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The executive sponsor as key factor in megaproject success : an exploratory study |
| title_short | The executive sponsor as key factor in megaproject success : an exploratory study |
| title_sort | executive sponsor as key factor in megaproject success an exploratory study |
| topic | Project managers -- Psychological aspects Project managers -- Leadership Project managers -- Effectiveness Megaprojects Project management -- Effectiveness UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/107834 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT louwwillem theexecutivesponsoraskeyfactorinmegaprojectsuccessanexploratorystudy AT louwwillem executivesponsoraskeyfactorinmegaprojectsuccessanexploratorystudy |