Project managers' front-end decision making.

Lawani, A.; Flin, R.; Adedokun, R.; Benton, P.

Abstract

In project management, Front End Loading (FEL) is a core work process before project authorization or sanction. This stage is where the extent of uncertainty is highest and if properly conducted with optimal decision making, it maximises the potential for project success. In UKCS oil and gas exploration and production, it is well known that projects can fall behind schedule, exceed estimated costs or result in spectacular failures. Extant research on decision making in project management has focused on classical analytical approaches, with less attention on more intuitive methods. This interview study is investigating how Senior Project Management Experts (SPME) in the upstream oil and gas industry make decisions during the Front-End Loading process. Adopting a cognitive task analysis approach, the aim is to examine how and when analytical and intuitive decision styles are used in the front-end stage of project management.

Citation

LAWANI, A., FLIN, R., ADEDOKUN, R. and BENTON, P. 2021. Project managers' front-end decision making. In Proceedings of the 2021 British Academy of Management conference (BAM 2021): recovering from COVID: responsible management and reshaping the economy, 31 August - 3 September 2021, [virtual event]. London: British Academy of Management [online], paper number 493. Available from: https://virtual.oxfordabstracts.com/#/event/1821/submission/493

• Conference Name: 35th British Academy of Management conference 2021 (BAM 2021): recovering from COVID: responsible management and reshaping the economy
• Conference Location: [virtual conference]
• Start Date: Aug 31, 2021
• End Date: Sep 3, 2021
• Acceptance Date: Aug 31, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Dec 31, 2021
• Publication Date: Dec 31, 2021
• Deposit Date: Nov 2, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 2, 2021
• Publisher: British Academy of Management
• Keywords: Decision making; Front end loading; Project management; Cognitive task analysis; Oil and gas industry; COVID-19; Pandemic
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1437335
• Publisher URL: https://virtual.oxfordabstracts.com/#/event/1821/submission/493