Not all project ambiguity is equal: A typology of project ambiguity and implications for its management

•17 themes of ambiguous situations in projects were identified and categorized into seven higher-order categories.•Ambiguity stemming from task complexity is the most frequent type of ambiguity experienced by project managers.•Project managers perform better at managing ambiguities stemming from task complexity compared to ambiguities associated with managing people.•Nine strategies to manage and deal with ambiguities in projects are identified, of which network use is the most effective.•Leadership support, learning culture and time to evaluate the situation are important resources when dealing with ambiguities in projects.