Standing on the shoulders of strategic management giants to advance organizational project management

Abstract

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine relevant issues within the strategic management domain related to concepts and terms used within the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities (DC) theory. The paper explains how these theories from strategic management can be translated for organizational project management (OPM). The paper also shares lessons learned by the co-authors as used in project management.Design/methodology/approach– Based on a literature review and research experience of co-authors, the paper bridges two theories from the strategic management field to OPM and demonstrates conceptual challenges experienced.Findings– From a translational perspective, the paper outlines how theories from strategic management can be adopted to OPM. Since OPM is evolving, there is merit in drawing from a solid theoretical foundation such as those found in strategic management.Research limitations/implications– This paper is conceptual and makes a case for further empirical research using strategic management literature. Only recently has research in project management raised the important topic of translating knowledge from more established fields (the giants) to project management research.Practical implications– Strategic management theories offer insights that can be leveraged to make OPM environments more effective through improved research foundations.Originality/value– By critically exploring and assessing the resource-based view and DC bodies of literature, this paper's value rests in applying learnings from these fields to OPM and to develop a clearer understanding of concepts and emphasize their importance.