Multi-project work and project performance: Friends or foes?

Colicev, Anatoli ORCID: 0000-0002-3311-8334, Hakkarainen, Tuuli ORCID: 0000-0002-3144-9236 and Pedersen, Torben (2023) Multi-project work and project performance: Friends or foes? STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, 44 (2). pp. 610-636.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smj.3443

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Research Summary</jats:title><jats:p>While multi‐project work (MPW) is becoming an increasingly popular work arrangement, its relationship with project performance is understudied. On the one hand, MPW is deployed to increase employee worktime utilization and productivity, which should be reflected in more timely project completion. On the other hand, MPW also brings switching costs due to attention residue and cognitive setup. Based on this trade‐off, we derive an inverted U‐shaped relationship between MPW and project performance. We find support for this relationship in a longitudinal dataset containing 9,649 project‐month‐employee observations. More specialized experience, project similarity, and employee familiarity positively moderate the inverted U‐shape. Furthermore, the results are robust to a host of model specifications, data structures, assumptions, and alternative explanations.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Managerial Summary</jats:title><jats:p>How many projects can you work on simultaneously? We study this question in the context of new product development (NPD) projects in a multinational organization. We suggest that multi‐project work (MPW) might be a double‐edged sword. On the one hand, MPW academics or engineers can be more productive by filling the gaps in their schedules and developing time management practices. On the other hand, MPW also carries switching costs. This trade‐off creates an inverted U‐shaped relationship between MPW and project performance. So, how can MPW be more beneficial or less costly? We find that more specialized employees can benefit more from productivity gains while working with familiar members or similar projects can alleviate switching costs.</jats:p></jats:sec>

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	multi-project work, productivity, project performance, specialized experience, switching costs
Divisions:	Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Management
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	21 Jul 2022 15:24
Last Modified:	04 Sep 2023 02:45
DOI:	10.1002/smj.3443
Open Access URL:	https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smj.34...
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3159074