Revisiting IT Project Uncertainty: Operationalizing the Sambamurthy–Zmud Model for De-Risking Digital Transformation Projects

Uncertainty in project deliverables remains a pervasive source of IT project failure, yet its structural origins are rarely operationalized. Sambamurthy and Zmud (2017) proposed a conceptual model linking IT project uncertainty to two fundamental dimensions: (1) the clarity or ambiguity of project deliverable specifications and (2) the number, diversity, and power of stakeholders involved. Despite its strong resonance with practice, this framework has not been empirically developed or tested.This paper extends and operationalizes the Sambamurthy–Zmud model by defining measurable constructs for project deliverable specification clarity and stakeholder structure complexity and by theorizing their joint effect on IT project risk. Drawing on information processing theory, stakeholder theory, and socio-technical systems perspectives, the paper argues that IT project uncertainty is not merely a descriptive condition, but a primary driver of project risk. A conceptual model and testable hypotheses are proposed to guide future empirical research and managerial practice in digital transformation projects.