Literature review
Communication in project management is multifaceted and involves the exchange of information, ideas and emotions between various stakeholders. Traditional problems in project communication include gaps in coding/decoding competence, virtual team breakdown, inadequate planning, and cross-cultural differences. As projects become more complex, these problems get worse, which requires innovative solutions.
Artificial intelligence, with its capabilities of natural language processing, machine learning and predictive analytics, opens promising opportunities for improving communication in project management. Artificial intelligence technologies have the potential to eliminate knowledge gaps, promote intercultural understanding and provide real-time information to improve communication efficiency. The literature identified eight critical communication problems in project management:
Encoding/Decoding Competency Gaps, where encoding is the conversion of information into messages through speech or writing and decoding is the conversion of these messages into meanings through listening or reading. Project managers’ competency in decoding and encoding are significantly associated with team member satisfaction, while project managers’ encoding is significantly associated with project team productivity (Henderson, 2004).
Virtual Team Breakdowns when dispersed work groups in which members are located in different countries face unique cultural differences that can affect the overall success of the group’s performance. Language barriers in differences in cultural expectations and understandings can have a profound impact on the group’s overall performance (Daim et al., 2012).
Inadequate Communication Planning leads to problems such as delay in message delivery, communication of sensitive information to the wrong audience, or lack of communication to some of the required stakeholders (Culo & Skendrovic, 2010).
Measuring Communication Effectiveness, when ensuring effective project communication, it is, essential to determine what it means that communication is effective and establish ways of measuring effectiveness. Communication is effective when it reaches its goals and accomplishes the intended purpose. However, in order to measure effectiveness, there is a need for a more specific and detailed list of aspects characterizing effectiveness of the communication process (Muszynska, 2018).
Cross-Cultural Misalignments that lend to communication issues tend to manifest themselves in three major categories: the functional disciplines of the members of the group, the organizational structure of the company and, the nationalities of the group members and/or the nation in which the groups exist (Daim et al., 2012).
Weak Interaction with Stakeholders is a major hurdle among stakeholders with different backgrounds and goals. Each group of stakeholders may have its own set of concerns and requirements. Vocabulary can vary depending on each stakeholder’s domain of expertise, and each group is likely to have its own goals, which can conflict with other groups’ goals (Griffor et al., 2023).
Lack of Communication Insights/Skills, when project managers lack deep insights into communication best practices, interpersonal skills, and techniques to effectively convey information, manage conversations, build rapport and shared understanding with diverse teams and stakeholders. Communicative practices of project managers and more specifically the underlying premise show that these practices are part of the constitutive dialogue that occurs between a project manager and project stakeholders (Ziek & Anderson, 2015).
Complexity of Communication. As projects sometimes grow larger with more stakeholders involved, communication complexity increases exponentially, making it challenging to maintain clarity, consistency and timeliness of information exchange across all parties, including those defining project requirements. For example, mega construction projects can be characterized by large scale, extreme complexity, high level of risks, involvement of multiple parties, and impact on a vast amount of people, and society. These projects are also differentiated from others with the number of stakeholders necessitating a high number of interactions between several parties and creating communication complexity (Cakır et al. 2022).
AI in Project Communication
The article explores how artificial intelligence (see Figure 1 below) can overcome these traditional communication barriers and proposes a new approach to using artificial intelligence to predict and prevent communication failures before they occur. This proactive strategy involves using predictive artificial intelligence analytics to identify potential communication problems early in the project lifecycle, allowing project managers to intervene before problems escalate. AI can transform project communication in the following ways:
Encoding/Decoding Competency gaps can be decreased by AI-powered chatbots, that are able to provide personalized communication, reducing misunderstandings and improving stakeholder engagement. Chatbots, powered by sophisticated AI algorithms, can provide continuous support and interaction with project stakeholders (Joshi, 2024).
Virtual Team Breakdowns can be solved by AI that can enhance virtual team dynamics by promoting positive emotional language and improving communication speed, fostering team cohesion. A machine learning system that identifies team flow can help not only to measure, but also to promote team flow and its dynamics over time (Peifer et al., 2021).
Inadequate Communication Planning can be corrected by AI tools automating communication planning, ensuring timely and appropriate information flow among stakeholders. AI-assisted communication in projects using ML demonstrates the potential to improve team performance (Taboada et al., 2023).
Measuring Communication Effectiveness can be performed by AI providing real-time insights and predictive analytics, capturing nuanced aspects of communication and improving measurement accuracy. AI can analyze communications to identify patterns and detect relevant stakeholders who should be notified on issues (Holzmann et al., 2022).
Cross-Cultural Misalignments can be smoothed by AI-based translation technology facilitating effective communication in multicultural environments by bridging cultural gaps. AI-based translation technology holds considerable promise in enabling cross-cultural communication (Khasawneh, 2023).
Weak Interaction with Stakeholders can be supported by AI systems enhancing stakeholder engagement by tailoring communication strategies to individual needs, improving transparency and trust. AI-driven communication tools enhance transparency, accountability, and engagement throughout the project lifecycle (Shamim, 2024).
Lack of Communication Insights/Skills can be compensated by AI tools providing data-driven insights and automate routine tasks, allowing managers to focus on developing critical communication skills. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can streamline communication, facilitate collaboration, and provide real-time updates to stakeholders (Shamim, 2024).
Complexity of Communication can be supported by AI systems helping to process vast amounts of information and facilitate clear, consistent messaging across diverse stakeholder groups. All big projects, for example mega construction projects, are more likely to experience communication problems due to the requirement of timely transfer of vast amount of information among many actors (Cakır et al., 2022).
Conclusions
The study suggests that artificial intelligence can significantly improve the effectiveness of communication in project management, which will lead to improved project results. Artificial intelligence-based tools can optimize communication processes, provide real-time analytical information and promote better understanding between the various stakeholders of the project. However, it is important to note that although AI has powerful capabilities, it should be considered as an additional tool, and not as a complete replacement for human communication skills. Effective integration of AI into project communication strategies requires a balanced approach combining technological solutions with human experience.
Artificial intelligence has significant potential to transform communication in project management by solving traditional tasks and expanding interaction with stakeholders. Using artificial intelligence technologies, project managers can improve communication efficiency, reduce misunderstandings and achieve more successful project results. As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, its integration into project management strategies will be crucial to understanding the complexities of modern projects. As projects continue to grow in complexity and global reach, the effective integration of AI into project communication may become increasingly crucial for project success. However, ongoing research and practical experimentation are needed to fully realize AI’s potential in project management while maintaining the irreplaceable value of human communication skills.
