Understanding the Nature of Project Escalation: An Exploratory Study from an IS Risk Perspective

Information Systems project failure has retained its preeminent position as one of the most important research streams in the past decades. Many studies attempt to understand what causes project failure as it is known as the first and most important step to effectively manage projects and avoid project failure. One of the most important reasons causing failure cited in IS literature and trade reports is project escalation. The phenomenon of project escalation has generally been examined from traditional perspectives and little is known about the phenomenon from an IS risk viewpoint. A qualitative case study of an IS project in Thailand is then used to illustrate the nature of project escalation and explain the relationships between project escalation and IS risks. The results of this study extend the existing body of knowledge of project escalation and describe the dynamic nature of project escalation from a nontraditional point of view