Formation of inter-project ties from the sender–recipient perspective: Roles of task interdependence and functional interdependence

Abstract

Linkages between project teams are critical to project and programme performance. Taking a sender–recipient perspective, we examined the effects of task and functional interdependence on prompting project teams to form ties in the multi-stage programme context. In analysing data of 886 inter-project coordination tasks of a large-scale infrastructure programme in Dubai, findings highlight that the two types of interdependence operate in different ways at different stages of the programme. In the design stage, sender and recipient teams’ task interdependence is negatively related to the formation of inter-project ties, whereas the sender team's functional interdependence is positively related to the formation of inter-project ties. In the construction stage, the sender team's task and functional interdependence are negatively and positively, respectively, related to the formation of inter-project ties. In the handover stage, the formation of inter-project ties is positively influenced by prior ties in the construction stage. This research extends the understanding of inter-project coordination from the project networks perspective, and contributes novel knowledge of inter-project interactions in programme management.