Delimiting the Human Resource System for Project Success in R&D and Exploring Factor Grouping Patterns: Implications for Strategic Decision-Making and Organisational Systems

This study represents the third stage of a structured research program focused on human-related factors in the success of research and development (R&D) projects. Building on prior work that identified 49 success factors and examined relationships among 28 human-centric variables using the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method, the present paper addresses the lack of formal validation of factor inclusion within the system. In this study, validation refers to assessing whether the identified factors are sufficiently integrated into the network of relationships to justify their inclusion within the human resource system associated with R&D project success. The research introduces a multi-layer analytical approach to refine the initial framework into a validated system. First, Matrix Impact Cross-Reference Multiplication Applied to a Classification (MICMAC) is applied to the influence matrix derived from DEMATEL to classify factors based on influence and dependence. Autonomous variables with low influence and low dependence are removed, resulting in a reduced set of structurally integrated factors. Second, Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) is used to examine similarity patterns among the remaining factors and to provide an additional perspective on the consistency of the system structure. Third, the ϕ coefficient is applied to analyse co-occurrence patterns and identify groups of factors that tend to appear together. The results support the delimitation of a core human resource system composed of factors that occupy central positions within the interaction structure and exhibit stable association patterns. This integrated approach reduces ambiguity in factor selection and provides a clearer representation of how human-related factors are organised within R&D projects. The findings contribute to the literature on project success by offering a structured procedure for system delimitation and by identifying priority areas that can support managerial and organisational decision-making in R&D environments.