Designing a fitting hybrid project management approach: a contingency perspective

Abstract

The hybrid approach in project management is now considered as a leading project management approach, that is applied in the majority of projects. However, the hybrid approach, which is defined as the combination of the predictive and adaptive approaches, is also still emerging, with several challenges and issues showing from literature. One of these issues is that the definition of hybrid as a combination of adaptive and predictive approaches leaves room for interpretation and variation. Hybrid is a spectrum of different ways of planning, controlling, organizing, leading and performing a project, that needs to be tailored to the situational circumstances. It is this tailoring process that the study focuses on. Based on the criteria for assessing the fit of an approach, the study identified the following six hybrid approaches, 'Flexible predictive'; ’'Tolerant predictive'; 'Predictable adaptive'; 'Adaptive light'; 'Integrated hybrid' and 'Facilitated adaptive'. By applying a contingency approach to the design of a hybrid approach, the study aims to contribute to the further development of the understanding of hybrid project management.