Paper Title
Influences of Early-Stage Project Variables on Project Performance

Abstract
This longitudinal study of 128 projects shows that project stimulants affects project capacity in the initiation and planning phases, which in return influences project outcomes in the closing phase. Subsequent structural equation modeling shows that risk has the second-largest effect on project outcomes, communication possesses the largest positive effect on project outcomes, despite having no direct link between them. Ultimately, our findings suggest that it is feasible to estimate the impacts of early-stage project variables on project outcomes prior to project execution. Index Terms - Project management, Project performance, Structural analysis, Longitudinal research