Toward a project management theory for renewal projects

Although some researchers have classified projects according to different categories, much of the field's literature comprises studies suggesting that a single project management theory fits all project types. Project managers, however, need theories that explain how they can best manage specific types of projects. This article examines the process of developing a theory for managing renewal projects. In doing so, it reviews the previous studies that do advocate creating specific theories for different project types; it explains the nature of renewal--also known as change--projects and the requirements for developing a theory on renewal projects. It compares two perspectives--the task and the organizational--of managing projects and discusses the organizational perspective's concept of project success.