• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.149-179
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• 2012

This study explores the reporting tendencies of project managers when sending a status reports to their respective senior managers in information systems development project. It also examines the effect of selective reporting on report quality and systems development performance. The research model is proposed based on literature survey as well as key points from Iacovou et al. [2009] which is an extension of selective reporting in information systems project. Analysis of responses from 257 project managers in information systems industry indicates that pessimistic reporting by project managers has negative effect on both report quality (mediator variable) and systems development performance, while optimistic reporting has no significant effect on systems development performance. The CEO interest has an impact on the senior manager's power, which in turn leads to optimistic reporting by project managers. The senior manager's character has an impact on the senior manager's leadership, which in turn leads to pessimistic reporting. No direct relationship exists either between CEO interest and optimistic reporting or between senior manager's character and pessimistic reporting. In addition, trust toward the senior managers is significantly related to pessimistic reporting. Finally, report tendencies are also found to be affected by the active/passive characteristics of project managers.