International Journal of Project Management最新文献

Despite the importance of motivation in driving the formation of collaborative risk management, the existing literature lacks recognition of stakeholders’ motivations to participate in the collaborative risk management of mega infrastructure projects. By combining interview data with the theoretical framework based on previous literature, this study constructs a motivation framework for stakeholders to participate in collaborative risk management of mega infrastructure projects, comprising four groups of motivations formed by glue identity logic (organizational or individual level) and interest logic (intrinsic drive or extrinsic stimulus). Motivational differences between project owners and contractors are discussed based on the case study of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, indicating that these differences are closely related to the identity of stakeholders and project progress. This study contributes a systematic perspective to recognize the motivations behind participation in collaborative risk management of mega infrastructure projects, aligns managerial intentions with actual motivations, and uncovers new insights into collaborative risk management. It enriches the collaborative risk management theory in mega infrastructure projects and provides guidance and inspiration for practitioners in decision-making and collaborative risk management in such projects.

Project-based organizations (PBOs) increasingly initiate the strategic change to work in interorganizational programs. Establishing such a change is challenging due to the short-term focus, high levels of autonomy, and the varying involvement of interorganizational actors in projects. We adopt a boundary work lens to study how public PBOs operating in infrastructure address the parent organization – program, parent organization – project, and project – project boundaries that emerge when organizing work in programs. Based on two in-depth qualitative case studies, we identified the importance of establishing a continuous and predictable flow in projects, processes, and learning in achieving effective collaboration in interorganizational programs. We find that boundary work at any individual boundary is insufficient to reap the benefits of such programmatic collaboration. Our study offers novel insights into boundary work and program management literature by shedding light on the interdependent nature of boundaries in the strategic change to work in interorganizational programs in PBOs.

Innovation can provide new opportunities to improve project efficiency. However, enabling innovation is challenging, especially in public infrastructure development projects. Several impeding factors, such as limited contractual incentives and complexity, are prevalent in contract-based collaborative environments. Literature suggests that boundary spanners play an important role in driving innovation by seizing opportunities. This study aims to identify configurations of boundary spanning roles in typical project situations— varying in contract type and complexity— to facilitate innovation. The empirical data is from 58 projects and analyzed using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). Results show that depending on the project conditions in terms of contract type and complexity, different combinations of boundary spanning roles can be taken up by project managers or other team members to facilitate innovation. This study highlights that in high-complexity situations, boundary spanning roles play a critical role in maintaining good relationships with collaborators, which is instrumental in developing innovation.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate legitimacy building narratives of project managers in flexible work projects and their articulation with institutional, organizational, and individual narratives. We use Greimas actantial model to analyze four case studies, collecting data from 27 interviews of project managers, employees and line managers as well as extensive secondary data. This study contributes to project management literature by identifying legitimacy building mechanisms that project managers use in their narratives: on one hand, they build on institutional and organizational narrative components to produce their own project narratives; on the other hand, they perform identity work through heroification to build their own legitimacy as project managers. We also show how some of these narratological components are challenged by other organizational actors (employees and line managers). On a methodological level, we also reflect on Greimas’ actantial model as a tool to analyze and compare project narratives at different levels and from different groups of actors.

Programs are frequently highlighted for their ability to enable the implementation of strategic transformation amidst rapidly changing and unpredictable business environments. This study explores the creation of routines within a strategic program in the Danish construction industry and the subsequent transfer of these routines to the parent organizations. It identifies three sequential patterns of action: entrenching, dis-embedding, and re-embedding routines. Through an interpretive case study, the study reveals how these routines emerge and adapt in alignment with diverse organizational capabilities and relations. The findings highlight the importance of routine transfer and integration in parent organizations, emphasizing their adaptability to distinct needs and their significance for achieving strategic objectives. The discussion presents a process model and elaborates on the three sequential patterns of action. The paper contributes to the program literature by exploring the dynamics of how routines emerge through their own enactment and in relation to other actions at the program level.

The purpose of this research was to explore organizational identity crafting and maintaining processes in a temporary organization where multiple organizations are involved. We collected data using interviews, archival documents, and visual data to study the case of Tideway (Bazalgette Tunnel Limited) in the United Kingdom. A thematic analysis with visual representation was used. Findings provide evidence that both organizational identity crafting and maintaining processes are integrated in temporary organization. We identified five dimensions of organizational identity crafting: encouraging socialization; showing leadership behavior; communicating with internal and external stakeholders; doing citizenship behavior; and developing and implementing legacy strategy. The study also provided evidence of four elements of organizational identity maintaining: hybrid working as the new normal; providing support system; additional resource utilizing; and adapting to the next normal. Our developed model of organizational identity mapping has a number of implications for ongoing research on organizational identity narrative in temporary organizations.

For projects to contribute to sustainability transitions, traditional roles of project actors need to be challenged. This paper focus on the changing role of demolishers in circular construction projects. We explore the role changes needed and the tactics adopted to negotiate these changes. Therefore, we collected data across 10 demolishers and two construction projects in the Netherlands. We identified required changes related to task, timing, position, and image. The studied demolishers adopted six different tactics to negotiate these changes. These findings contribute to the sustainability transitions literature by highlighting the important function of projects in operationalizing role changes and enabling change in the roles of incumbent actors. Furthermore, the results contribute to the debate on roles in sustainable projects, and on the roles of demolishers in particular, showing the different elements and non-linear nature of role change, including the unique challenges and tactics adopted by demolishers to negotiate these changes.

Understanding the current state of a complex project is challenging but essential for project teams to make effective management decisions. This research explores whether the indirect elicitation and comparison of mental models measured through individual level perceptions can encourage project team double loop learning about a complex project to inform management decisions. The best-worst scaling object case method was applied at the individual level to measure system-wide perceptions of two case study projects, demonstrating its efficacy in capturing team and stakeholder perceptions, and measuring how these change over time. Analysis of the case studies showed that highlighting the differences in mental models uncovered using the best-worst scaling object case method at the individual level can facilitate double loop learning and prompt management decisions about complex projects.