A Framework for Top Management Support Practices for the Successful Delivery of Projects in Revenue Administrations in SACU

Abstract

Organisations, both public and private, exist to achieve a specific objective or vision. The attainment of this objective is done through the implementation of some sort of strategy. It has been shown that strategy implementation can be done either as part of operations or through projects. This leads to the notion that the successful attainment of project objectives contributes to effective strategy attainment whereas the failure to realise project objectives contributes towards failure in realising strategy. Many studies have explored and discovered factors which contribute to the failure of the successful delivery of strategy through the execution of projects. One of these factors, namely Top Management Support, has consistently ranked high amongst the list of such factors. There have not been many studies, however, which have drilled down on what specific factors comprise Top Management Support. The few studies which have investigated this research niche have been primarily in the IT projects sphere. It has been demonstrated, through these studies, that Top Management Support Practices are industry specific. This study has acknowledged this gap and has sought to close this gap within the parastatals industry in the form of revenue administrations. This study has followed a mixed method research approach through employing an exploratory sequential mixed method research design. It has explored, through and adaptation of Mintzberg's Managerial Roles, specific Top Management Support Practices most appropriate for the successful execution of projects in the context of Revenue Administrations in the Southern African Customs Union. The study was concluded by developing a proposed framework for successful project delivery with specific Top Management Support Practices.