One Size Does Not Fit All - Contingency Approach on Relevance of IS Project Success Dimensions

Measurement of information system (IS) project success remains an unsolved challenge. Instead of seeking a commonly accepted measurement framework, some scholars suggest a contingency approach. The idea is that no set of success dimensions fits best in all situations; instead, dimensions' relevance depends on given context. We continue existing research by investigating how the relevance of success dimensions varies depending on specific project characteristics: technological uncertainty, complexity, and pace (based on the UCP model). We conduct a quantitative survey among experienced project managers to test a comprehensive set of hypotheses. Results from 102 projects indicate that, among others, technological uncertainty increases the importance of most long-term dimensions like learning effects but reduces the importance of staying within budget. For researchers, we expect the more adequate success assessment to increase the validity of IS project success studies. We help IS practitioners to identify relevant project success dimensions in their projects.