Do managers learn more about successful project management methods from articles in high impact factor journals?

Background: In recent years, the need to develop performance-based measurement systems to improve project management outcomes has dramatically increased. Managers still take various risks during the course of managing projects which lead to ineffective decision making. A range of theories discuss such behaviors. These theories demonstrate that the discussion of risk embedded in non-optimal decision-making processes is based on theory rather than practical knowledge. However, various components of project management can be derived from academic best practices for decision making. Objective: The study aims to explore whether articles in high impact journals tend to embody practical, rather than theoretical, knowledge thus closing the gap between academia and industry. The study is based on SEM and various machine learning classification methods. METHOD: The study was conducted using an NLP analysis of 1461 academic journals in the field of project management. Results: Results show a significant positive relationship between the success of projects and the impact of new practical procedures. In contrast, a negative correlation was found between theories that use non-practical processes of effective project management. Conclusion: Managers can learn about new methods for project management from articles in high impact factor journals.