This paper constitutes an innovative attempt to analyse the risks and negative phenomena dependencies within a project portfolio. Based on the available literature, the risks and negative phenomena (that is, the problems with the availability of resources, interpersonal conflicts, irregularities in the portfolio balance, etc.) specific to a project portfolio were identified. Theoretical constructs were then used to connect the identified risks with the negative phenomena. Structural equations were used to confirm the existence and quality of these constructs, as well as models describing connections between phenomena. The determination of the structural equations also provided a setting in which statistical methods (χ², RMSEA and CFI) could be used to investigate the level of fit of the constructs and models to the empirical data.

The subject of this article is project portfolio risk categorisation. Research conducted indicated categories containing the most probable and significant risks. The research described in this paper was carried out in two stages. In the first stage, the relevant literature was reviewed and the Delphi method was used to identify 36 risks specific to a project portfolio. In the second stage, the respondents (project portfolio managers) assessed the probability of each risk occurring and the impact of that risk on the objectives of the project portfolio. The empirical data obtained in this way made it possible to conduct an exploratory factor analysis and to identify the risk categories of the project portfolio. The presented results may also contribute to a broader discussion concerning the validity of identifying project portfolio risks and how to categorise them. The results may be useful for further discussion on the empirical confirmation of three categories of portfolio risks proposed by the Project Management Institute.

Purpose: This study aims to examine whether insourcing of processes pays off and verifies key hypotheses regarding the financial ratios of organisations. Design/methodology/approach: This paper randomly selects and then surveys 1996 organisations, of which 9.5% (190) stated that they used insourcing, 1.9% (37) made a decision to implement insourcing in the near future and 88.6% did not use insourcing. Then, for available firm data (100 insourcing firms and 100 firms without it), the financial statements of the surveyed companies were obtained to compare the most important financial ratios. The financial situation was compared at four-time points. The mean and median values of individual indicators were compared with the significance of relevant statistical tests. Findings: A U-shaped curve of financial results in the time of enterprises that implemented insourcing and reverse U-shaped curve for enterprises that did not have insourcing are seen. Thus, the insourcing of processes pays off in the long run. Research limitations/implications: Limitations exist in the generalisation of the results obtained, due to the limited number of samples qualified for analyses (limited reliable financial data). Practical implications: The research highlights the importance of effective insourcing projects in the long term. Originality/value: This study is the first to quantify the financial performance of companies that have used insourcing in comparison with a reference group. This paper defines insourcing and contributes to the growing number of studies on insourcing by bringing attention to the financial outcomes in the long run.

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