Escalation of commitment : evaluating project termination behaviour of masters of engineering management students

Abstract

In this study we presented 180 Masters of Engineering Management students with five scenarios of a troubled project at different phases in the project lifecycle. Each scenario presented specific economic parameters about the return on investment if the project is completed, and the salvage value should the project be stopped before completion. The research showed that, despite their project management education, the students exhibited substantial escalation of commitment behaviour, and the majority chose to continue with the project in the face of clear evidence that the project would fail.