Advanced communication tools and project success in complex outsourced it projects.

"Web 2.0 technologies, such as shared documents, Wikis, and virtual social networks, are increasingly used for communication in complex IT projects. In this study, we apply the boundary spanning theoretical perspective and Carlile´s (2002) model of boundary complexity to investigate how these tools relate to projects´ outcomes, and analyze the characteristics of the projects and organizations where these tools are adopted. The analysis is based on post-hoc field data collected from client side project managers through an online cross sectional survey. We observed higher level of reflection on communication practices among adopters of Web 2.0 tools. We also found that, along with reflection, the freedom to choose and alter communication tools, strong leadership and approaching client-vendor communication as negotiation of new knowledge (the "pragmatic" level of Carlile´s model) are strongly associated with project success for Web 2.0 adopters; this is not the case for projects where Web 2.0 tools have never been tried. \ \ This work provides evidence of the valu of the boundary spanning conceptual approach to communication and particularly to Carlile´s model of boundary complexity. Practitioners will gain a better understanding of how tools that support higher levels of communication complexity contribute to a project´s success. \"