Complexity of educational projects in public administration

Luis Hernan Contreras Pinochet; Vanessa Itacaramby Pardim; Cesar Alexandre de Souza

doi:10.5585/gep.v10i3.14835

Authors

Luis Hernan Contreras Pinochet Business Administration Department in the Paulista School of Politics, Economics and Business of the Federal University of São Paulo (EPPEN/UNIFESP) http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2088-5283
Vanessa Itacaramby Pardim University Nove de Julho (UNINOVE) http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0893-7271
Cesar Alexandre de Souza Economy, Business and Accounting School of the University of são Paulo (FEA/USP) http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8941-8582

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5585/gep.v10i3.14835

Keywords:

Project management, Project complexity, Public Management, Project Management Education.

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify factors related to organizational evaluation and management in the complexity of projects with professionals working with projects in the area of education in the Brazilian public administration. The data were analyzed for a total of 536 respondents involved in this study. The constructs ‘project variety’, ‘elements of context’, ‘interdependencies within the project’ and ‘project complexity’ were analyzed by using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). This was in conjunction with an evaluation and estimation model with the application of the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with the use of the R software. The four identified measures played a significant role in the goodness of fit index of an underlying construct for the model. As a result, it was found that as the length of experience increases, the perception in understanding the complexity (trust and capacity) inherent to the projects, interferes in familiarity with the activity, but not in familiarity with the methodology. Finally, it is necessary that project managers who work in the public area are attentive to the socio-political aspect, since it presupposes the combination of the political and emotional aspects of those involved in the projects. This study contributes to a gap within the literature on the phenomenon ‘complexity of projects’ in the area of education in public administration, what is very important considering the Brazilian reality and its challenges for public managers, both from the point of view of strategic challenges and the complexity of the decisions required.

Author Biographies

Luis Hernan Contreras Pinochet, Business Administration Department in the Paulista School of Politics, Economics and Business of the Federal University of São Paulo (EPPEN/UNIFESP)

Adjunct Professor in the Business Administration Department in the Paulista School of Politics, Economics and Business of the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP). He primarily works researching emerging technologies and society and information management and business analytics. He obtained his Post-Doctorate in Administration from Nove de Julho University in 2019. He received his PhD in Business Administration in 2007 from the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), Master’s in Business Administration in 2002 from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná and Bachelor’s in Computer Science in 1998 from the Positivo University.

Vanessa Itacaramby Pardim, University Nove de Julho (UNINOVE)

Professor at the University Nove de Julho (UNINOVE) in the management science department. She has a Bachelor (2003) and Master (2011) of Business Administration from University Center Foundation Santo André (CUFSA) and University Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), respectively. She teaches graduate courses on the topics of Organizational Learning, Human Capital Management, Knowledge Management and Leadership and Team Management. At the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) acts as instructional design linked to the Open University of Brazil project.

Cesar Alexandre de Souza, Economy, Business and Accounting School of the University of são Paulo (FEA/USP)

Professor at the Economy, Business and Accounting School of the University of são Paulo (FEA/USP). He has a PhD degree in Business Administration (2004) , a MsC degree in Business Administration (2000) and a Bachelor degree in Industrial Engineering at the Escola Politécnica or the University of Sao Paulo (1990). He has authored and co-authored several papers and book chapters, mainly in the topics of Information Systems Management and Impacts of Emerging Information Technologies in Business and in Government. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on the topics of New Digital Business Models, Digital Innovation, Digital Commerce and Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence applied to Businesses.

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