Hybrid project management models: a systematic literature review

Hybrid project management (HPM) combines traditional and agile methods, fusing predictive and adaptive approaches. There is only fragmented knowledge about the appropriateness of the hybrid approach and the differences between existing HPM models. To deepen and expand an understanding of HPM, our systematic literature review analysed the advantages, disadvantages, drivers, and barriers of HPM, synthesised the results, and proposed five themes (methodology, project, team, customer and organisation) based on 4,623 abstracts and 72 full papers. The main original output of our review is a comprehensive overview of HPM models described so far in the scientific literature featuring 22 different hybrid models including the identification of their design patterns and nine additional metamodels. The critical challenges for future research are better methodological support of HPM, evaluation of the success of the hybrid approach, and further empirical research to broaden insights into the usage of HPM.