While project
termination is often seen as a rational business decision based on objective
performance metrics, this conceptual paper argues that project death results
from complex socio-technical dynamics that go beyond traditional cost-benefit
analyses. Using systems thinking, organizational politics theory, and
socio-technical systems (STS) theory, we develop a comprehensive framework that
shows how social, political, and technical factors intertwine to influence
project termination decisions. Our analysis suggests that project death is not
just an organizational event, but a socio-technical phenomenon shaped by power
dynamics, competing stakeholder narratives, emotional investments, and the
politics of failure. We identify three interconnected subsystems—the political
subsystem (which includes power structures and agendas), the social subsystem
(emotional ties and team dynamics), and the technical subsystem (performance
metrics and capabilities)—that collectively influence project paths. This
framework challenges the dominant rational-economic view of project termination
and offers a more detailed understanding of why some failing projects continue
while viable ones are cut short. The paper contributes to project management
theory by reimagining project termination as an emerging property of
socio-technical system dynamics rather than a straightforward managerial
decision. This has important implications for how organizations handle project
governance and termination protocols.
