Client management in the project domain: towards conceptual integration using cross-disciplinary research

• The review identifies three distinct client management research strands, covering the supply firm, the project front-end and project execution. • The disciplines applied in prior research, especially marketing, organisational behaviour and project management, have induced a fragmented understanding of client management. • The review demonstrates the need for theoretical integration, drawing upon a cross-disciplinary research approach to generate new knowledge on client management conceptually and to improve performance. Client management by the delivery organisation is under-researched across the project domain. Reviewing the literature positions client management (CM) as an important topic for improving performance. Three dominant theoretical strands are identified. One strand is based in the disciplines of marketing and organisational behaviour. It is largely located in the delivery firm. The second strand primarily locates CM as part of project marketing. This strand is rooted in operational management and has become positioned tactically as a subset of project management largely at the front-end. A lesser third strand views CM from the project management delivery perspective. The analysis demonstrates the theory-driven lenses employed by the different research strands produce a fragmented picture that limits current understanding. Hence there is a need for conceptual integration. The analysis argues for cross-disciplinary research to induce integration, commencing with the current intersections to create a strategic platform for generating new knowledge.