It is important to first define two important terms that are extremely relevant to this research: (a) an optimal work plan and (b) an optimal Gantt chart. In such companies, the вЂњmachinesвЂќ are actually people and the production or development process might be affected by behavioral aspects. This effect of perceived complexity is specifically relevant to companies that mostly build their production and development process on the human resource. It has been suggested that such decisions tend to be biased by the PMвЂ™s perception of Gantt chart complexity, which has a negative effect on their motivation to adopt optimal work plans (Brokman et al., 2018a, Brokman et al., 2018b). Research findings also offer practical implications for managers seeking to influence PM's behavior and attenuate the negative impact of Gantt chart complexity without changing other aspects of the work plan.ДЇormer research pointed to behavioral aspects that influence PM's (project manager) decisions and showed that PMs do not necessarily choose the optimal Gantt chart (Wauters and Vanhoucke, 2016, Brokman et al., 2018a, Brokman et al., 2018b). Research results show that the complexity level of the Gantt chart negatively affects PMs' motivation to adopt an optimal work plan, and importantly, findings suggest that the group type (together or not) attenuates this effect. To test this prediction, the researchers followed an experimental approach and manipulated the level of communication effort by defining two group types, which differed in the number of team members and the geographical distance between them (together or not). This research introduces a central factor moderating this effect: the level of communication effort required by PMs (project managers) when managing IT (information technology) team members.

AbstractPrior research shows that project managers tend to avoid following the optimal work plan, and that this tendency is negatively influenced by the perceived complexity of the Gantt chart.

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