Project-as-Practice: Change in a City Organization

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to increase understanding on the ways in which a project creates strategic change for sustainability transition within a permanent organization. Drawing on a practice theory perspective, we present a longitudinal study of the day-to-day activities of a project management team in a city organization. The results of our study show that a project team without hierarchical authoritative power to give orders or delegate change-related activities engages in a praxis of navigating that attracts people and resources to change making. This study contributes to project management studies by increasing understanding about the ways in which the short-term activities of a project foster long-term strategic change in a siloed and departmentalized permanent organization. Additionally, this study provides novel insight into the ways in which a project supports a city organization to act as a leader in urban sustainability transitions.