Project authority — A multidimensional view

This paper delineates some basic authority relationships within five models of project management: (1) the individual model; (2) the staff model; (3) the intermix model; (4) the aggregate model; and (5) the NASA/Apollo model. The authority construct is broken down into formal authority (authority inherent with the position and organizationally derived) and influence (authority generated by the project manager through his own technical competence and his administrative skills). The focus of this paper explains how the bases and functions of authority tend to shift within the various project-management models. An examination of the project manager´s use of formal authority and influence in varying project contexts eliminates some of the ambiguity surrounding the concept of project authority.