Critical success factors in large projects in the aerospace and defense sectors

The classification of project success or failure is a multidimensional construct that depends on many factors. This study analyzes the different criteria and factors that influence the success of a project. This research uses a configurational comparative method, a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), to analyze 29 international large industry projects in the aerospace and defense sectors, and considers a wide range of success criteria and critical success factors. The results show that not all criteria or factors have the same influence on the ultimate success of a project. The findings reinforce the importance of the customer, the company, and the time in obtaining the success as success criteria. The client and user, the project environment, and a robust project management are the most relevant factors to succeed. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.