The Gap between Project Managers and Executives

Researchers and practitioners have drawn attention to the differences in thinking and acting between the project managers and executives in project management. These differences - also called the gap in this paper - may negatively impact project results. However, knowledge about this gap is lacking in current research. This study aims to investigate this gap and quantifies the different perceptions that project managers and executives have. The research consisted of a literature study followed by a survey among project managers and executives to gather the experiences, and to identify the size and the impact of this gap. The result made clear that the gap is caused by the differences in perspectives, in strategic insight and in understanding of each others behaviour. If the gap is present, it was perceived by both project managers and executives that it had a negative impact on the project results.