33
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Business Adminis a ion and Managemen
DOI: 10.15240/ ul/001/2016-1-003
In oduc ion
The ope a ion and g ow h o small and medium-
sized en e p ises (SMEs – including mic o
en e p ises) a e signi i can ly de e mined by he
cha ac e is ic ea u es and in e nal di e si y
o his g oup o en i ies (To ès & Julien,
2005; Cu an, 2006). The iden i i ca ion o
cha ac e is ic p ope ies leads o a quali a i e
and quan i a i e dis inc ion be ween small and
medium-sized companies om o he en i ies,
p ima ily including la ge en e p ises (LEs)
(Ma chesnay, 1982; Bannie & Zahn, 2012).
This se o p ope ies, o “SME O dinai e” –
as p oposed by Reboud, Mazza ol, and Cla k
(2011) – conce ns, e.g., gene al manage ial
cha ac e is ics, o ganiza ional con i gu a ion,
s a egy and ma ke o ien a ion. I is mani es ed
by a less s uc u ed and o malized app oach o
managemen p ac ice, su i al, and business
de elopmen (Ge oski, 1999).
The sea ch o unc ional cha ac e is ics,
which is connec ed wi h SME ac i i y in a ious
a eas o managemen , is ano he impo an
di ec ion o esea ch. One such a ea o
g owing impo ance o oday’s o ganiza ions
is p ojec managemen . The app oach is
businesses’ way o coping wi h he inc easing
scope, complexi y, dynamics, and unce ain y o
he en i onmen . These ci cums ances c ea e
many new challenges o mode n en e p ises
(Mcg a h & Macmillan, 2009) and signi i can ly
a ec he ope a ion o SMEs (Wes & D ne ich,
2010). Using p ojec managemen ensu es
he high l exibili y and e i cien a ionali y o
ac ion. Howe e , p ojec managemen should
be implemen ed wi h conside a ion o he
indi idual needs and possibili ies o speci i c
business en i ies, including SMEs.
Conside ing his, he pape aims o iden i y
and e alua e selec a eas ela ed o he
quali a i e cha ac e is ics o p ojec managemen
in SMEs. The analysis conce ns pa icula
phases in a p ojec li e cycle and is based on
he esul s o esea ch conduc ed on a sample
o N = 897 en e p ises, including n = 563 SMEs,
and n = 334 LEs. The es o he di e ence
be ween wo popula ion p opo ions was used
o iden i y he a eas o p ojec managemen
cha ac e is ic o SMEs s a is ically.
1. Theo e ical Backg ound
and Hypo heses
Academic publica ion ha akes he
cha ac e is ic ea u es o small and medium-
sized en e p ises in o accoun has his o ically
o igina ed om esea ch de eloped on he
managemen o hese en i ies (To ès, 2003).
The beginning o his end is linked o he
s udies o he As on school o hough (Pugh,
Hickson, Hinings & Tu ne , 1968; Pugh,
Hickson & Hinings, 1969) and conce ns he
in l uence o en e p ise size on i s s uc u e and
ope a ion (Pen ose, 1959; Min zbe g, 1979).
Wi hin he end o speci i ci y (Dand idge,
1979), SMEs a e ea ed as a cohe en g oup in
opposi ion o LEs. Thei cha ac e is ics may be
o a quali a i e o quan i a i e na u e.
In hei analysis o quali a i e cha ac e is ics,
Blili and Raymond (1993) classi y he
cha ac e is ic ea u es o SMEs in o i e se s:
(1) en i onmen al ea u es, (2) o ganiza ional
ea u es, (3) decisional ea u es, (4) psych-
sociological ea u es, and (5) in o ma ion
sys ems ela ed ea u es. A mo e elabo a e
app oach is p oposed by Nicolescu (2009),
who ( aking in o accoun in e nal and ex e nal
a iables) iden i i es 10 gene al ea u es o he
o ganiza ional sys ems o SMEs: (1) low size
and complexi y, (2) high ypological di e si y,
(3) in ensi e human dimension, (4) low deg ee
o o maliza ion, (5) s ong in e connec ion
o he o mal and in o mal elemen s; (6)
ela i e p ocedu al and s uc u al simplici y,
(7) high l exibili y, (8) s ong en ep eneu ial
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES
OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN SMALL
AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES
Remigiusz Kozlowski, Ma ek Ma ejun
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34 2016, XIX, 1
Ekonomika a managemen
pe sonaliza ion, (9) in ensi e decisional
cen aliza ion, and (10) ela i ely equen use o
he au ho i a ian and, espec i ely, pa icipa i e
app oach.
The concep ha shi s he conside a ions
closes o he gene al cha ac e is ics o SMEs
is he idea o small business as a p oximi y mix,
whe e To ès (2004) dis inguishes i e ypes o
p oximi y: (1) hie a chical p oximi y, (2) in a-
unc ional p oximi y, (3) p oximi y in o ma ion
sys ems, (4) ime ac o (o empo al) p oximi y,
and (5) spa ial p oximi y. In hese models,
small and medium-sized businesses a e
cha ac e ized by a s ong in l uence o company
owne pe sonali y and high sensi i i y o
changes in ex e nal condi ions (D’Amboise
& Muldowney, 1988). The managemen
p ocess is domina ed by sho - and medium-
e m pe spec i e and low le el o p ocedu e
o maliza ion (Ba e & Mayson, 2007).
Planning is used o a limi ed ex en and is o en
in o mal (Honig & Samuelsson, 2012).
On he o he hand, small and medium-sized
i ms a e cha ac e ized by high l exibili y o
ac ion (Ve dú-Jo e , Llo éns-Mon es & Ga cía-
Mo ales, 2006; Alpkan, Yilmaz & Kaya, 2007),
ela i ely high and e i cien inno a ion (Ve hees
& Meulenbe g, 2004; Te zio ski, 2010; Szabo,
Šol és & He man, 2013), and well-de eloped
adap abili y o he changing en i onmen (Le y
& Powell, 2004).
As a as he quan i a i e ea u ed o SMEs
a e conce ned, a en ion is paid o he quan i y o
esou ces held (con olled) and he quan i i able
size o business. In his case, he ea u es
emphasized mos a e he employmen olume,
expendi u e, and p o i s o he business.
The concep ual amewo k o he
cha ac e iza ion p o ides he basis o he
de i ni ion and iden i i ca ion o small and medium-
sized en e p ises among all business en i ies in
gene al. Ne e heless, he aspec s adop ed o
de i ni ion pu poses a e usually o quan i a i e
na u e and may di e om coun y o coun y
(Ayyaga i, Beck & Demi guc-Kun , 2007).
Acco ding o a Wo ld Bank s udy, o e 125
million o mal SMEs ope a e in 132 coun ies,
including 89 million SMEs in eme ging ma ke s
(Kushni , Mi muls ein & Ramalho, 2010). They
pe o m impo an economic and social oles,
signi i can ly a ec ing he employmen le el,
c ea ion o new jobs, o GDP (Hal iwange ,
Ja min & Ja ie , 2013). Acco ding o 2012
da a, he e a e 20.7 million small and medium-
sized en i ies in he EU, accoun ing o mo e
han 98% o all en e p ises. The SME sec o
employs o e 87 million people (67% o o al
employmen ) and pa icipa es in he gene a ion
o 58% o g oss alue added (Wymenga,
Spaniko a, Ba ke , Konings & Can on, 2012).
Howe e , as ema ked by Cu an and
Bu ows (1993) and Cu an and Blackbu n
(2001), pinpoin ing he cha ac e is ics alone
is no enough o clea ly de i ne SMEs, due
o he di e si y and he e ogenei y o his
g oup o en i ies. This leads o he c ea ion
o a concep ual amewo k s essing he
high di e si y o SMEs. Examples o such an
app oach include he idea o he dena u a ion
(loss o cha ac e is ic ea u es) o SMEs
(To ès, 2003), o he concep o small business
an i hesis (To ès & Julien, 2005). Despi e
he de elopmen o esea ch on he in e nal
di e si y o SMEs as a g oup, he end in he
sea ch o hei speci i c ea u es may be iewed
as an es ablished doc ine (S e enson & Ja illo,
1990; Ga ne , Bi d & S a , 1992) aspi ing o
he posi ion o he dominan app oach o s udies
on small-business managemen .
This is made mani es by he de elopmen
o esea ch wi hin his cogni i e end,
which cu en ly de ia es om he gene al
cha ac e is ics o SMEs in a o o hei unc ional
cha ac e is ics connec ed wi h speci i c a eas o
me hods o managemen . Wha has eme ged
as an impo an esea ch end he e a e
compa a i e s udies o small and medium-sized
companies and la ge ones. Among o he opics,
hese s udies conce n in ap eneu ship (Ca ie ,
1994), inno a ion p ac ice (Koc, 2011; Vah e ,
Lo e & Rope , 2012), and in ellec ual p ope y
p o ec ion policy (Fe nández-Ribas, 2010).
A signi i can empi ical end is ep esen ed by
s udies on he unc ions o en e p ises, e.g.,
ma ke ing and logis ics (Rawwas & Iye , 2013),
o he applica ion o mode n managemen
me hods, e.g., he concep o co po a e social
esponsibili y (Coppa & S i amesh, 2013), o
compe i i e in elligence (Molná & S řelka,
2012). Compa a i e s udies also ocus on he
en i onmen o SMEs and LEs. Examples
include he esea ch by Fong, Chen and Luk
(2012) conce ning loca ion choices, o s udies
by Walke (2010) on he e ms and cos s o
ob aining sho - e m c edi o small and la ge
i ms.
Ano he majo di ec ion o esea ch on
he unc ional cha ac e is ics o SMEs is also
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1, XIX, 2016
Business Adminis a ion and Managemen
he issue o p ojec managemen . P ojec
managemen has become one o he key
challenges acing oday’s o ganiza ions,
some hing con i med bo h by economic
p ac ice and he de elopmen o esea ch in
his i eld (Kwak & Anba i, 2009; Söde lund,
2011; Ga el, 2013). P ojec s, de i ned as “a one-
ime ac i i y wi h a well-de i ned se o desi ed
end esul s” (Me edi h & Man el, 2011, p. 11),
which a e in con as o he p ocess app oach
o managemen (Tuček, Hájko á & Tučko á,
2013), play an impo an pa in a dynamic,
complex and unce ain en i onmen , p o iding
a esponse o accele a ed compe i ion,
inc eased economic p essu es, and apid
echnological change (Pa anakul & Shenha ,
2012). Thei use by small and medium-
sized businesses enables cos educ ion and
acili a es he in oduc ion o new p oduc s and
se ices o he ma ke (La son, Gobeli & G ay,
1991), p ima ily including inno a i e solu ions
in esponse o indi idual and changing clien
equi emen s (Allocca & Kessle , 2006).
The idea o p ojec -based managemen
i s well wi h he quali a i e cha ac e is ics o
SMEs, as i s use equi ed he de elopmen
o dynamic capabili ies allowing en e p ises
o eac e ec i ely o changes occu ing in
a compe i i e en i onmen (Teece, Pisano &
Shuen, 1997; Teece, 2007). On he o he hand,
p ojec managemen equi es he in ol emen
o speci i c esou ces (Ma hu , Jugde & Fung,
2007; Jugde & Ma hu , 2012). Due o esou ce
sho ages and o he quali a i e p ope ies, ha
p ojec managemen in SMEs would display
speci i c cha ac e is ics di e en om he
solu ions used in la ge companies i should be
expec ed. The easons o his se o ea u es
lie bo h wi hin he gene al cha ac e is ics o
SMEs, and wi hin he speci i c p inciples o
p ojec managemen and he p ope ies o hei
li e cycle (Wes land, 2007).
Reasons and basic goals o p ojec a e
iden i i ed a he s age when he p ojec is
being ini ia ed. Employing p ojec managemen
may be e y bene i cial o o ganiza ions. This
includes s uc u al and ope a ional bene i s,
as well as business enhancemen and
imp o ed business bene i s (So iano, 2011).
Some o hese ad an ages, such as quali y
imp o emen , inc eased e i ciency, o as e
implemen a ion o ac i i ies may be linked o
he p o ec ion and enhancemen o he exis ing
o ganiza ional esou ces. O he ad an ages,
such as inc eased e enues, a e la gely
connec ed wi h he sea ch o and acquisi ion
o new esou ces. I seems ha in he na u al
absence o esou ces in SMEs, pa icula ly in
he a ea o angible and i nancial asse s (Welsh
& Whi e, 1981; Wins on & Dologi e, 1999), hese
companies end o ocus on he la e ca ego y
o bene i s. This leads o he o mula ion o he
ollowing hypo hesis:
H1: P ojec managemen in SMEs is
p ima ily ocused on he sea ch o and
acquisi ion o new ma e ial and i nancial
esou ces.
A he s age o p ojec planning and
a angemen , a p ojec eam is o med, which
may also be in l uenced by SMEs’ esou ce
sho ages. I seems he selec ion o p ojec
eam membe s in SMEs depends mo e on
he p ojec budge , while in LEs he e is mo e
emphasis on he quali i
ca ions, skills, and
knowledge o p ojec pa icipan s. This leads o
he o mula ion o ano he hypo hesis:
H2: The selec ion o p ojec eam membe s
in SMEs depends la gely on he budge
alloca ed o he p ojec .
Mu phy and Ledwi h (2007) obse ed ha
in SMEs he e was a need o p ecisely cla i y
he p ojec goals and ensu e he suppo o
he owne -manage in p ojec implemen a ion,
pa icula ly hei in ol emen in con olling
he quali a i e c i e ia o he unde aking. This
s ems om he dominan ole o a p i a e owne -
manage in small-business o ganiza ion (Quinn,
1997; Ma ca i, Guido & Pelusob, 2008; Tomczyk,
Lee & Winslow, 2013), o ien ed owa ds
p ese ing high ope a ional au onomy (Jones,
2003). This quali a i e ea u e is pa icula ly
impo an a he p ojec implemen a ion s age, as
he owne – in ending o p ese e he au onomy
o ac ion – s uggles o ull con ol o e p ojec
pe o mance, which leads o he o mula ion o
he ollowing hypo hesis:
H3: In p ojec managemen in SMEs, he key
supe iso y and leade ship ole is pe o med by
he company owne who s i es o ull con ol
o e p ojec implemen a ion.
The pu sui o high au onomy in he p ocess
o p ojec implemen a ion in SMEs may also
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36 2016, XIX, 1
Ekonomika a managemen
esul in limi ing he scope in which in e -
o ganiza ional coope a ion is used. The s udies
by Bakke , Knoben, de V ies, and Oe lemans
(2011) show ha small and medium-sized
businesses use coope a ion mainly in he
pe o mance o simple and epe i i e asks (less
equen ly unique ones) and base i p ima ily on
pa ne ships, which educes possible con l ic s
be ween pa ne s (Ga dine & Simmons, 1998).
This b ings us o ye ano he hypo hesis,
eading as ollows:
H4: In he p ocess o p ojec
implemen a ion, small and medium-sized
en e p ises only use in e -o ganiza ional
coope a ion o a limi ed ex en , ocusing a he
on independen ac ion.
Ano he signi i can ea u e in l uencing he
cha ac e is ics o p ojec managemen in SMEs
is he ela i ely low le el o o maliza ion, and
he high l exibili y o ac ion. O’Sheedy, Xu, and
Sanka an (2010) emphasize he conside able
use ulness o p ojec managemen in SMEs
being execu ed in a l exible and esponsi e
manne , which is he bes solu ion in a changing
and highly unce ain en i onmen . This is
mani es ed by adop ing less bu eauc a ic
me hods o p ojec managemen in SMEs
han in LEs (Tu ne , Ledwi h & Kelly, 2010),
which migh signi i can ly a ec he phase o
p ojec comple ion and e alua ion. The lack
o echnical knowledge and expe ience o
SMEs may also be an issue (S ai , C i enden
& C i enden, 1989; Bacon, Acke s, S o ey &
Coa es, 1996), pa icula ly wi h espec o hei
use o IT suppo . This leads o he o mula ion
o he i h hypo hesis:
H5: P ojec managemen in SMEs is
cha ac e ized by ela i ely low o maliza ion,
which leads o a limi ed use o o ganiza ional
and IT ins umen s, ad anced and o malized
o ms o g oup communica ion, as well as
a o mally limi ed s age o p ojec comple ion
and e alua ion.
The s udy hypo heses o mula ed
abo e indica e a speci i c se o quali a i e
cha ac e is ics in he p ocess o p ojec
managemen in SMEs. The hypo heses ha e
been e i i ed by empi ical s udies, as epo ed
in he la e po ion o he pape .
2. Me hodology
The aims o his pape we e pu sued and
he esea ch hypo heses we e e i i ed in he
cou se o s udies conduc ed on a sample o
N = 897 en i ies ope a ing and implemen ing
p ojec s in he Eu opean Union. The esea ch
employed he su ey me hod, which is
ega ded as he main da a collec ion me hod
in s udies on en ep eneu ship and small
business (Newby, Wa son & Woodli , 2003;
Ba holomew & Smi h, 2006). The sample was
selec ed a andom based on a sampling ame
ha included en e p ises ha had implemen ed
p ojec s signi i can o hei business in he pas
h ee yea s. Fo he pu pose o da a analysis,
he su eyed en i ies we e g ouped in o wo
ca ego ies: SMEs (including mic o, small,
and medium-sized en e p ises), and la ge
companies (LEs).
The c i e ion o SME iden i i ca ion was he
uni o m o mal de i ni ion gi en in he Eu opean
Commission ecommenda ion (2003) and in he
Eu opean Commission egula ion (2004). Using
his app oach, n = 563 SMEs we e iden i i ed,
including n = 154 mic o, n = 231 small, and
n = 178 medium-sized businesses. In he
analysis o s udy esul s, he e m “small and
medium-sized en e p ises (SMEs)” was used
wi h e e ence o all o hese companies. The
la ge business ca ego y was ep esen ed by
n = 334 en i ies.
The su eyed businesses mos ly ope a ed
in he se ice sec o (64.1%), less equen ly
hey we e in ol ed in p oduc ion (38.9%) o
ade (34.8%). The esul s do no add up o 100
pe cen , as 30.2% o en i ies we e ac i e in mo e
han one sec o . The o e whelming majo i y
o he su eyed mic o and small companies
ope a ed locally and egionally, which is
cha ac e is ic o small-scale en i ies (Giaou zi,
Nijkamp & S o ey, 1988). On he o he hand,
medium-sized and la ge companies ope a ed
mo e equen ly on a na ional, in e na ional, o
global scale.
All o he su eyed en i ies implemen ed
speci i c p ojec s in he cou se o hei ope a ion.
The ques ionnai e asked he esponden s o
p o ide answe s wi h e e ence o one speci i c
p ojec ha had been o signi i can (s a egic)
impo ance o he ope a ion o he en i y, and he
managemen o which had been ep esen a i e
o he gene al p inciples o p ojec managemen
in he gi en o ganiza ion.
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Business Adminis a ion and Managemen
The esponden s we e ep esen a i es o
he su eyed companies in ol ed in p ojec
implemen a ion. They we e membe s (91%) o
supe iso s (9%) o p ojec eams. They had all
pa icipa ed di ec ly o indi ec ly in all s ages o
he li e cycles o he p ojec s (Wes land, 2007).
The i s i ems unde analysis we e
selec quan i a i e pa ame e s o he
su eyed p ojec s: hei budge s and e m o
implemen a ion. The esul s demons a e ha
he p ojec budge size is signi i can ly ela ed o
he company size, χ2
Ya es (6, N = 897) = 97.16,
p < 0.001. The s eng h o his ela ionship, as
measu ed wi h C ame ’s V = 0.23, indica es
a mode a e co ela ion be ween he p ope ies
unde s udy. Mo eo e , he empi ical da a
show ha la ge en e p ises implemen la ge
p ojec s (in e ms o budge size).
The leng h o ime gi en o p ojec
implemen a ion is also signi i can ly ela ed
o he company size, χ2 (6, N = 897) = 58.81,
p < 0.001. The s eng h o his ela ionship, as
measu ed wi h C ame ’s V = 0.18, indica es
a mode a ely weak co ela ion be ween he
a iables. In his case, he empi ical da a also
demons a e ha la ge companies end o
implemen longe p ojec s (in e ms o he
du a ion o implemen a ion).
In o de o iden i y he quali a i e a eas o
p ojec managemen cha ac e is ics in SMEs,
he s a is ical es o he di e ence be ween wo
popula ion p opo ions was employed (Goodwin
& Kemp, 1979; Ande son, Williams & Sweeney,
2011; Aczel, 2012). So as o display he
s a is ically signi i can di e ences in esponses
om he ep esen a i es o SMEs and LEs, he
hypo hesis H0: pSME = pLE e sus i s al e na i e
H1: pSME ≠ pLE was e i i ed wi h e e ence o each
ques ion. The H0 hypo hesis was e i i ed using
he s a is ical z sco e exp essed wi h a sui able
o mula, which assuming he u h ulness o H0,
has an asymp o ically no mal dis ibu ion. The
p ocess o esea ch hypo hesis e i i ca ion
(Lehmann & Romano, 2005) adop ed
signi i cance le el α = 0.05 and α = 0.01, and
a wo- ailed c i ical egion. The esul s we e
analyzed wi h e e ence o pa icula phases
and he ele an selec ed quali a i e aspec s
o p ojec managemen connec ed wi h he
o mula ed esea ch hypo heses.
3. Resul s
The analysis o he p ojec ini ia ion phase
ocused on he assessmen o di e ences
occu ing a he le el o he easons and
objec i es o p ojec implemen a ion. The
esponses o he ep esen a i es o small,
medium-sized, and la ge en e p ises a e
p esen ed in Table 1.
In he analysis o he p ojec planning and
a angemen phase, a en ion was gi en o he
c i e ia o p ojec eam membe selec ion and
Key p ojec causes and goals Pe cen age
o SMEs
Pe cen age
o LEs z
Clien ‘s ma ke o de 32.1% 16.5% 5.16**
Expansion o business and ma ke o e 17.1% 12.3% 1.92
Quali y imp o emen 49.0% 63.8% -4.29**
Inc easing e i ciency 49.20% 57.49% -2.40*
Sho ening he ime o p ocesses o o he ope a ions
in he company 30.0% 40.7% -3.27**
Reduc ion o ope a ional cos s 23.6% 36.5% -4.14**
Inc easing e enues 68.6% 55.4% 3.97**
Cus ome e en ion 53.8% 51.2% 0.76
Inc easing compe i i eness 70.2% 68.3% 0.60
Adjus men o ex e nal equi emen s 3.0% 1.5% 1.43
*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01. Tes o he di e ence be ween wo popula ion p opo ions (2- ailed).
Sou ce: own
Tab. 1: Di e ences in p ojec managemen in SMEs and LEs a he p ojec ini ia ion
s age
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38 2016, XIX, 1
Ekonomika a managemen
o he use o o ganiza ional and IT ins umen s
in p ojec planning. The esponses o he
ep esen a i es o small, medium-sized, and
la ge en e p ises a e p esen ed in Table 2.
As conce ns he p ojec implemen a ion phase,
obse a ions ocused on he solu ions used in
p ojec supe ision, he use o in e -o ganiza ional
coope a ion, ad anced echnologies, and he
o ms o g oup communica ion. The esponses o
he ep esen a i es o small, medium-sized, and
la ge en e p ises a e p esen ed in Table 3.
In he analysis o he p ojec comple ion
and e alua ion phase, a en ion was paid o he
en i y pe o ming he p ojec assessmen , he
deg ee o a ainmen o he in ended goals, and
he scope o e aining he knowledge gene a ed
in he cou se o he p ojec . The esponses o
he ep esen a i es o small, medium-sized,
and la ge en e p ises a e p esen ed in Table 4.
3. Discussion
The s udy esul s p esen ed sugges he
occu ence o signi i can a eas o cha ac e is ics
in all phases o he li e cycle o SME p ojec s.
Wi h e e ence o he ini ia ion s age, he analysis
conce ned he majo easons and goals o he
p ojec s. The esul s indica e ha SMEs mo e
o en implemen p ojec s in o de o achie e
e ec s ela ed o di ec ma ke ac ions. I may
be s a ed ha in his case, p ojec managemen
is a he mo e ex e nally o ien ed (ma ke -
o ien ed). La ge i ms, on he o he hand, a e
mo e ocused on he pu sui o de elopmen al
goals: quali y imp o emen , bo h wi h espec o
p oduc s and se ices, and in e nal p ocedu es
– in o de o inc ease e i ciency o educe he
ime i akes o implemen p ocesses o o he
business ac i i ies.
Conside able di e ences a his s age also
appea in he companies’ app oach o he issue
o e ec i eness. SMEs a e cha ac e ized by
a highe o ien a ion o e i ciency, domina ed
by he in en ion o inc ease e enues
(which i s well wi h ma ke -o ien ed p ojec
managemen ). On he o he hand, la ge i ms
p e e he economical op ion connec ed wi h
op imiza ion and educ ion o ope a ional cos s.
These di e ences may also p o ide g ounds
o conclusions ela ed o he c ea ion o he
compe i i e ad an age wi hin he amewo k
o he esou ce-based iew (Ba ney & Cla k,
2007; Jugde , Ma hu & Fung, 2007) by
compa ing g oups o en i ies. I SMEs (due o
esou ce sho ages) end o ocus a he mo e
on ob aining new sou ces o i nancing, he la ge
companies aim o p o ec hei exis ing asse s
and imp o e hem by unde aking economical
and de elopmen al ini ia i es. The e o e,
he esul s suppo a posi i e e i i ca ion
o he H1 hypo hesis in e ms o i nancial
P ojec eam membe
selec ion c i e ia
Pe cen age
o SMEs
Pe cen age
o LEs z
P ojec budge size 34.1% 28.1% 1.85
Skills and knowledge 89.2% 89.8% -0.31
Limi ed e m o p ojec implemen a ion 17.8% 19.2% -0.52
O he c i e ia 3.2% 2.7% 0.43
Use o compu e ools and so wa e Pe cen age
o SMEs
Pe cen age
o LEs z
No use o ools and so wa e 39.1% 13.5% 8.13**
P ojec schedule 48.8% 67.7% -5.49**
P ojec implemen a ion cha 18.1% 24.6% -2.31*
Ne wo k diag ams 3.7% 8.4% -2.96**
O he ools 1.1% 2.4% -1.55
Compu e so wa e 30.0% 47.0% -5.11**
*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01. Tes o he di e ence be ween wo popula ion p opo ions (2- ailed).
Sou ce: own
Tab. 2: Di e ences in p ojec managemen in SMEs and LEs a he p ojec planning
and a angemen s age
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39
1, XIX, 2016
Business Adminis a ion and Managemen
asse s ha cons i u e he key esou ces in
SME g ow h (Se asquei o & Nunes, 2011).
Small and medium-sized companies p e e
in e nal sou ces o i nancing (Ga cía-Te uel
& Ma ínez-Solano, 2007), which means ha
p ojec managemen helps in supplemen ing
hem.
In he analysis o he p ojec planning and
a angemen s age, one needs o conside ha in
he a ea ela ed o he selec ion o p ojec eam
membe s he e a e no signi i can di e ences
be ween SMEs and LEs. In bo h g oups, he
leading c i e ion is he one conce ning he skills
and knowledge o candida es. This does no
p o ide posi i e e i i ca ion o he H2 hypo hesis.
Howe e , signi i can di e ences a his
s age a e ound wi h espec o he use o
o ganiza ional and IT ins umen s in p ojec
planning. The s udy esul s show ha SMEs a e
less inclined o use o ganiza ional ools, and
end o make less use o compu e so wa e
suppo ing p ojec planning.
One migh hus conclude ha he p ojec
planning and a angemen s age in SMEs
Supe ision o
p ojec implemen a ion
Pe cen age
o SMEs
Pe cen age
o LEs z
Company owne 57.0% 26.7% 8.83**
Company employee o manage 16.7% 38.0% -7.17**
Con ac o ’s employee 6.7% 7.8% -0.58
Ex e nal consul an 7.8% 4.5% 1.94
Team supe ision 11.7% 22.5% -4.27**
O he solu ions 0.0% 0.6% -1.84
In e -o ganiza ional coope a ion in p ojec
implemen a ion
Pe cen age
o SMEs
Pe cen age
o LEs z
In e -o ganiza ional coope a ion 46.0% 56.9% -3.15**
Use o g oup communica ion o ms in p ojec
implemen a ion
Pe cen age
o SMEs
Pe cen age
o LEs z
Mee ings 90.4% 88.6% 0.85
Con e ence calls 18.3% 27.5% -3.25**
Videocon e ences 1.4% 6.3% -3.98**
S a iona y phones 76.6% 88.9% -4.58**
Cellula phones 87.6% 82.3% 2.16*
Sa elli e phones 4.3% 10.8% -3.78**
In e ne 75.0% 77.8% -0.98
In ane 31.4% 66.5% -10.21**
Ex ane 4.1% 11.1% -4.05**
No use o ne wo k connec ions 18.1% 7.5% 4.42**
Use o ad anced echnologies
in p ojec implemen a ion
Pe cen age
o SMEs
Pe cen age
o LEs z
High- ech equipmen 46.7% 39.8% 2.01*
High- ech p oduc s 21.7% 21.0% 0.25
High- ech se ices 20.6% 21.0% -0.13
Compu e so wa e 41.7% 54.5% -3.70**
*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01. Tes o he di e ence be ween wo popula ion p opo ions (2- ailed).
Sou ce: own
Tab. 3: Di e ences in p ojec managemen in SMEs and LEs a he p ojec
implemen a ion s age
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40 2016, XIX, 1
Ekonomika a managemen
is cha ac e ized by lowe o maliza ion and
a limi ed scope o use o o ganiza ional and IT
ins umen s as compa ed o la ge en e p ises.
The esul s ob ained con i m he H5 hypo hesis
wi h ega d o lowe o maliza ion and limi ed
use o o ganiza ional and IT ins umen s.
The eason o his si ua ion is he absence
o speci i c o ganiza ional ools and compu e
so wa e ha migh be used by SMEs in he
p ojec managemen p ocess. Ano he p oblem
may be he limi ed knowledge and skills o
en ep eneu s in implemen ing ini ia i es and
IT sys ems (San os, Mon oni, Vasconcellos,
Figuei edo, Cab al, Ce dei al, Ka su ayama,
Lupo, Zane i & Rocha, 2007).
The analysis o he di ec p ojec
implemen a ion s age e ealed signi i can
di e ences in p ojec managemen be ween
SMEs and LEs – occu ing in each o he
a eas unde s udy. The i s one conce ns
he supe ision o p ojec implemen a ion. In
SMEs, his is usually pe o med di ec ly by he
company owne . The supe ision is mos ly o
a s a is ical na u e, and he supe ising en i y
emains unchanged h oughou he p ojec
implemen a ion pe iod. This suppo s he H3
hypo hesis.
In la ge i ms, he managemen is eam-
based, collec i e, o i is pe o med wi hin ma ix
s uc u es. Supe ising collec i es usually
include membe s o he leading en i y (LE) and
i s pa ne s and subcon ac o s. The e o e,
managing is o en dynamic, and supe iso s
change om s age o s age.
The esul s illus a e ha SMEs indeed
end o use in e -o ganiza ional coope a ion
in p ojec implemen a ion o a lesse ex en
han LEs. This limi ed endency o in e -
o ganiza ional coope a ion p ima ily s ems om
he smalle scope o hei p ojec s (in e ms
o budge size and e m o implemen a ion).
La ge en e p ises mo e equen ly implemen
complex p ojec s, equi ing he in ol emen o
many subcon ac o s, whe eas SMEs usually
implemen simple p ojec s, only engaging hei
in e nal po en ial and esou ces. The esul s
suppo he H4 hypo hesis.
The nex a ea unde s udy conce ned he
use o a ious o ms o g oup communica ion
in he cou se o p ojec implemen a ion. The
En i y pe o ming p ojec e alua ion Pe cen age
o SMEs
Pe cen age
o LEs z
Clien 22.7% 17.4% 1.92
Expe unin ol ed in he p ojec 9.8% 11.4% -0.76
Con ac o ’s ep esen a i e 7.6% 4.8% 1.66
P ojec supe iso 40.5% 51.2% -3.12**
Company employee unin ol ed in he p ojec 13.3% 16.8% -1.41
Membe o s ic company managemen 7.3% 5.4% 1.11
Ex e nal egula o y body 4.4% 3.3% 0.85
No p ojec e alua ion was pe o med 29.0% 21.3% 2.54*
Deg ee o a ainmen o in ended
p ojec goals
Pe cen age
o SMEs
Pe cen age
o LEs z
Full 87.4% 79.4% 3.16**
Pa ial 12.2% 19.9% -3.10**
None 0.4% 0.6% -0.54
Re en ion o knowledge gene a ed in
p ojec implemen a ion
Pe cen age
o SMEs
Pe cen age
o LEs z
Knowledge was e ained 68.2% 78.7% -3.40**
*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01. Tes o he di e ence be ween wo popula ion p opo ions (2- ailed).
Sou ce: own
Tab. 4: Di e ences in p ojec managemen in SMEs and LEs a he p ojec comple ion
and e alua ion s age
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41
1, XIX, 2016
Business Adminis a ion and Managemen
esul s show ha SMEs use high- ech o ms
o elecommunica ion much less han LEs
do. The bigges di e ences occu in he use
o ideocon e ence, sa elli e elephony, and
con e ence calls. A a low le el o signi i cance,
SMEs use cellula phones mo e o en
han LEs. This is la gely due o he limi ed
communica ion needs in SMEs, connec ed wi h
hei smalle sizes, employmen and limi ed
spa ial dispe sion. Howe e , i also con i ms he
necessi y o de elop app op ia e solu ions in
he a ea o in e nal communica ion wi hin small
and medium-sized companies (Holá, 2012).
Signi i can di e ences also conce n he
use o compu e ne wo ks in he cou se o
p ojec implemen a ion. Because o hei
cha ac e is ics, SMEs make much less use
o he in ane and ex ane . I should also be
emphasized ha many mo e SMEs do no use
IT ne wo ks in p ojec implemen a ion a all.
Thus, he esul s ob ained in his sec ion o he
s udy suppo he H5 hypo hesis wi h e e ence
o he limi ed use o ad anced and o malized
o ms o g oup and ne wo k communica ion.
Ano he a ea o esea ch conce ned
he use o ad anced echnologies in p ojec
implemen a ion. The esul s show ha a a low
le el o signi i cance, SMEs end o make sligh ly
mo e use o high- ech equipmen – machine y
and de ices. These i ndings may aise some
doub s, as in ac la ge en e p ises use compu e
so wa e subs an ially mo e equen ly in
p ojec implemen a ion, and as i was indica ed
abo e, hey also use ad anced o ms o g oup
communica ion o a g ea e ex en .
The answe s o SMEs ga e conce ning
he scope o hei use o high- ech equipmen
may be a ibu ed o wo easons. Pe haps,
hese en i ies make g ea e use o small bu
highly specialized de ices (measu ing o
p oduc ion equipmen ) han LEs. On he o he
hand, due o hei inhe en esou ce sho ages,
SMEs end o iew a ious echnologies as
ad anced. The pu chase o he same machine
by a la ge company may be seen as a low-
ech in es men . The e is no doub , howe e ,
ha he implemen a ion o p ojec s by SMEs
and LEs subs an ially a ec s he acquisi ion
o new echnological solu ions and necessa y
ma e ial esou ces. The e o e, i suppo s he
H1 hypo hesis in e ms o acquisi ion o new
ma e ial asse s.
The las phase was p ojec comple ion
and e alua ion. In his case, SMEs pe o med
a ull e alua ion o he p ojec signi i can ly less
equen ly, whe eas his was usually done by
he p ojec supe iso in LEs. This is due o bo h
he lowe le el o o maliza ion o he p ojec
managemen p ocess in SMEs, and he ac ha
s a ic p ojec supe ision is usually pe o med
by he business owne who supe ises he
p ojec on a eal- ime basis.
Despi e his weakness, he esul s show ha
SMEs ully achie e he in ended goals o hei
p ojec s much mo e equen ly. This happens
o wo easons: i s , SMEs implemen smalle
p ojec s, which make he a ainmen o hei
goals easie ; second, LEs end o implemen
mo e complex p ojec s in ol ing many
subcon ac o s and pa ne s (g ea e deg ee o
in e -o ganiza ional coope a ion). In his case,
he i nal p ojec ou come is composed o he
implemen a ion o many agmen a y asks,
some o which may be ou side he immedia e
con ol o he la ge en i y. Mis akes o gaps in
hei implemen a ion nega i ely a ec he i nal
e alua ion o p ojec goal a ainmen . Su ely, he
s udy esul s may also be a ibu ed o he lowe
le el o o maliza ion o he p ojec comple ion
phase in SMEs, whe e he assessmen is mo e
supe i cial, which allows hem o eco d highe
e i ciency a ios.
The lowe o maliza ion o he p ojec
comple ion s age also ansla es in o lowe
e en ion o he knowledge gene a ed in p ojec
implemen a ion in SMEs. I may addi ionally
s em om limi ed capabili ies (e.g., limi ed
use o IT) o he needs o smalle businesses.
The esul s ob ained in his sec ion posi i ely
e i y he H5 hypo hesis wi h ega d o he
o mal limi a ions o he p ojec comple ion and
e alua ion p ocess.
Based on he esea ch i ndings and hei
discussion, Table 5 p esen s he key a eas
o cha ac e is ics in he p ocess o p ojec
managemen in SMEs as compa ed o he
solu ions employed by LEs. In addi ion, he esul s
we e e e ed o he e i i ca ion o indi idual s udy
hypo heses.
The e o e, i may be s a ed ha he
cha ac e is ics o p ojec managemen in SMEs
a e made mani es by an ex e nal o ien a ion
ocused on inc easing e i ciency and he sea ch
o new esou ces, pu sued wi h limi ed use o
o malized managemen me hods and ools.
The managemen p ocess is domina ed by s a ic
leade ship o he company owne , he limi ed
scope o in e -o ganiza ional coope a ion, and
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48 2016, XIX, 1
Ekonomika a managemen
Abs ac
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN SMALL
AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES
Remigiusz Kozlowski, Ma ek Ma ejun
The end o speci i ci y in s udies on small and medium-sized en e p ises managemen ocuses
on he sea ch o cha ac e is ic quali a i e and quan i a i e ea u es dis inguishing hese en i ies
om o he s, pa icula ly om la ge en e p ises. Resea ch conduc ed wi hin his end may conce n
he gene al cha ac e is ics o small and medium-sized companies, as well as hei unc ional
cha ac e is ics connec ed wi h pa icula a eas o managemen . One such a ea o g owing
impo ance o oday’s o ganiza ions is p ojec managemen . This app oach plays an impo an
ole in a dynamic, complex and unce ain en i onmen , p o iding a esponse o accele a ed
compe i ion, inc eased economic p essu es, and apid echnological change. Use he p ojec
managemen by small and medium-sized en e p ises enables cos educ ion and acili a es he
in oduc ion o new p oduc s and se ices o he ma ke , p ima ily including inno a i e solu ions
in esponse o indi idual and changing clien equi emen s. Howe e , p ojec managemen should
be implemen ed wi h conside a ion o he indi idual needs and possibili ies o speci i c business
en i ies, including SMEs. Taking his ac s in o conside a ion, he goal o he pape is o iden i y and
e alua e selec a eas ela ed o quali a i e cha ac e is ics o p ojec managemen in SMEs. The
analysis e e s o indi idual phases o a p ojec li e cycle, is o compa a i e na u e, and is based on
he esul s o s udies conduc ed on a sample o 563 small and medium-sized en e p ises and 334
la ge en e p ises. The es o he di e ence be ween wo popula ion p opo ions was used o iden i y
he a eas o p ojec managemen cha ac e is ic o SMEs s a is ically. Based on he s udy esul s,
i e esea ch hypo heses ha e been e i i ed conce ning he basic goals, ole o he owne , in e -
o ganiza ional coope a ion, and limi ed o maliza ion in he p ocess o p ojec managemen in small
and medium-sized en e p ises.
Key Wo ds: Small and medium-sized en e p ises, p ojec managemen , la ge en e p ises,
en ep eneu ship, compa a i e s udies.
JEL Classi i ca ion: L22, L25, L26, M00.
DOI: 10.15240/ ul/001/2016-1-003
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