Benefits realisation management: a structured quantitative literature review

Abstract

The relationship between benefits realisation management (BRM) and project success has been widely established in literature. BRM ensures that project value is created, serving as the critical link between project execution and strategic implementation. Research on BRM has been steadily growing over the years. Various themes, theories, contexts, and methodologies have been explored in the literature. This study builds on previous reviews in the field by providing a comprehensive review of the academic literature on BRM. I adopt a structured quantitative literature review approach to identify the prevailing context in which BRM has been studied, the dominant methodological approaches, themes, and theories applied over the past decade. My analysis found that BRM research has gradually expanded and become more diverse in terms of study contexts, research methodologies, thematic scope, and the application of theories. However, despite this progress, BRM research remains unevenly distributed. Most studies in the field still focus on the meso-level of the IT/IS sector in developed economies. Methodologically, the literature remains dominated by qualitative research. The application and development of independent theories in BRM research also remain sparse and fragmented. Future research should thus focus on expanding the contextual and methodological diversity. There is also a need for more theory development and integration in BRM research.