Information Technology Project Escalation: A Process Model

ABSTRACT Information technology (IT) a common and costly problem. While much is known about the factors that promote escalation behavior, little is known about the actual escalation process. This article uses an in‐depth case study to construct a process model of escalation, consisting of three phas...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Decision sciences Vol. 39; no. 2; pp. 239 - 272
Main Authors: Mähring, Magnus, Keil, Mark
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.05.2008
American Institute for Decision Sciences
Subjects:
and Project Management
Case studies
Case Study
Coping
Decision making
Decision theory
Economic psychology
Escalation
Escalation behaviour
Escalation of Commitment
Information technology
IT Projects
Process Model
Project management
Studies
Visibility
ISSN:0011-7315, 1540-5915, 1540-5915
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:ABSTRACT Information technology (IT) a common and costly problem. While much is known about the factors that promote escalation behavior, little is known about the actual escalation process. This article uses an in‐depth case study to construct a process model of escalation, consisting of three phases: drift, unsuccessful incremental adaptation, and rationalized continuation. Each phase encompasses several within‐phase escalation catalysts and the model also identifies triggering conditions that promote transition from one phase to the next: project framing (antecedent condition), problem emergence, increased problem visibility, and imminent threat to project continuation (triggering the outcome deescalation). The results show that escalation is not necessarily the result of collective belief in the infallibility of a project. Rather, escalation results from continued unsuccessful coping with problems that arise during a project. Furthermore, the results suggest that the seeds of escalation are sown early: the very manner in which a project is framed contributes to whether or not the project will become prone to escalation. As problems ensue, repeated mismatches between attempted remedies and underlying problems contribute to fueling the escalation process. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Bibliography:We sincerely thank the senior editor, the associate editor, and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments. Financial support from the Sweden-America Foundation, the Carl Silfvén Scholarship Fund and the L.E. Lundberg Foundation is gratefully acknowledged.
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ArticleID:DECI191
We sincerely thank the senior editor, the associate editor, and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments. Financial support from the Sweden–America Foundation, the Carl Silfvén Scholarship Fund and the L.E. Lundberg Foundation is gratefully acknowledged.
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ISSN:0011-7315
1540-5915
1540-5915
DOI:10.1111/j.1540-5915.2008.00191.x