Inter-organizational Projects Research Articles

Selecting Organizational Partners for Interorganizational Projects: The Dual but Limited Role of Digital Capabilities in the Construction Industry

The selection of partners is critical for the success of interorganizational projects. Based on conceptual reasoning in light of prior research, as well as illustrative empirical insights into an ongoing interorganizational project in the construction industry, we argue that partner selection practices not only target the organizational capabilities of potential partners but they themselves require an organizational capability to search for, evaluate, and select. This article delineates the facets of this capability, reveals the role of digital capabilities therein, and shows that the respective capabilities are crucial for inclusion and exclusion in interorganizational projects. The results also point to capabilities that emerge at the interorganizational nexus.

Quality management practices and inter-organizational project performance: Moderating effect of governance mechanisms

While research on the relationship between quality management practices and inter-organizational project performance has found inconsistent results, few studies have considered the contextual factors of quality management practices. Inter-organizational projects involve external participants in quality management and thus, this study tested the moderating role of governance mechanisms (contract governance and trust) on the relationship between quality management practices and inter-organizational project performance. Results of 265 valid questionnaires from China indicated that quality management practices contribute to inter-organizational project performance. Contract governance magnifies the positive effect of quality management practices on inter-organizational project performance while the moderating effect of trust is insignificant. The moderating effect of contract governance indicates a means for strengthening the effect of quality management practices in inter-organizational projects. Further research on more contextual factors of quality management practices should be conducted.

Knowledge sharing in a coopetition project team: An institutional logics perspective

AbstractCooperation between firms is often addressed from the perspective of relationship organizing; however, we know little about people's working‐level engagement in collective action during interfirm projects. Focusing on cooperation between rival firms (coopetition), we explore how knowledge can be shared among participants. We offer insight into the management of interorganizational projects that are viewed as temporary organizations.

Construct Validity in World City Network Research: From Office Location Networks to Inter-Organisational Projects in the Analysis of Intercity Business Flows

The Interlocking World City Network Model (IWCNM) and other office location approaches (OLAs) have become the most widely used empirical models of the world city network (WCN) over the last two decades. Despite numerous methodological improvements, they still rely on Taylor’s (2001) legacy of using data on office locations of firms to indirectly estimate intercity business flows. Notwithstanding criticism from both within the mainstream of the global and world cities research as well as postcolonial and poststructuralist geographers, OLAs maintain their dominant position in recently published research. To advance the dialogue on the appropriateness of OLAs as empirical models of WCN, we consider their construct validity by examining the link between theory and empirical models. We uncover evidence that calls into question the validity of OLAs for empirical modelling of intercity business flows. In the spirit of no deconstruction without reconstruction, we develop a new model based on directly observable business flows, which we call the inter-organisational project approach (IOPA). We deductively argue for IOPA’s construct validity as an empirical model of the WCN and offer empirical evidence for its structural validity. We demonstrate it using a global sample of 161,114 investment bank syndicates in the 2000 – 2015 period.

Trust and control in project management

This study answers a call for more qualitative research on project management to unveil “what goes on in social construction of projects and project management”. More precisely, we focus on how trust and control are balanced in an inter-organizational project collaboration in the Norwegian petroleum industry. Our findings suggest that balancing trust and control is a significant part of the project manager role. We claim that this area is both neglected in education and training and under-researched. The aim of the paper is to provide more knowledge on the trust-control dilemma in project management. Our qualitative approach provides rich empirical examples of dilemma situations and how balancing trust and control take place in a real-life project management context. The data was collected between 2010 and 2013 and consists of observational data from project meetings, document analysis and interviews.

Inter-organisational project network integration: a systematic literature review

The purpose of this paper is to achieve an understanding of integration in inter-organisational project networks. This paper encapsulates scattered research streams concentrating on integration and adds to the perspectives of integration studies towards inter-organisational project network landscapes. The adopted research method is a systematic literature review through a qualitative content analysis, which provides a conceptual framework on integration in project networks. The framework includes eight concepts of integration in project networks. The developed framework improves understanding of how academic literature examines and comprehends integration in inter-organisational project networks. Furthermore, this paper shows that the research area is emerging and has until now focused mainly on construction and infrastructure sectors in the project management literature. The findings highlight consistent streams of discussion, gaps in knowledge, and propose a need for further research. There are a limited number of efforts towards creating a comprehensive understanding of how integration is presented and takes place in practice in complex project networks. This paper points out collaborative practices as the centre of academic attention. In addition, it reveals a scarce attention on exhaustive themes such as integration governance. This study creates a framework and common language for further use for academics and practitioners.

BIM Use Assessment (BUA) Tool for Characterizing the Application Levels of BIM Uses for the Planning and Design of Construction Projects

The evaluation of BIM capabilities and repeatability enables a company or project to identify its current status and how to improve continuously; this evaluation can be performed with BIM maturity models. However, these maturity models can measure the BIM state but not specifically the application of BIM uses. Likewise, in interorganizational project teams with a diversity of factors from various companies, it is possible to evaluate the capacity at a specified time with specified factors, but it is not possible to evaluate the repeatability unless the client always works with the same project teams. Therefore, despite the existence of various BIM uses in the literature, there is no instrument to evaluate the level of implementation of them in construction projects. This research proposes a BIM Use Assessment (BUA) tool for characterizing the levels of application of the BIM uses in the planning and design phases of building projects. The research methodology was organized into three stages: (1) identification, selection, and definition of BIM uses; (2) proposal of the BUA tool for characterizing the level of BIM use application; and (3) validation of the BUA tool. The tool was validated using 25 construction projects, where high reliability and concordance were observed; hence, the BUA tool complies with the consistency and concordance analysis for assessing uses in the design and planning phases of construction projects. The assessment will enable self‐diagnosis, stakeholder qualification/selection, and industry benchmarking.

Inter-organisational project network integration: a systematic literature review

The purpose of this paper is to achieve an understanding of integration in inter-organisational project networks. This paper encapsulates scattered research streams concentrating on integration and adds to the perspectives of integration studies towards inter-organisational project network landscapes. The adopted research method is a systematic literature review through a qualitative content analysis, which provides a conceptual framework on integration in project networks. The framework includes eight concepts of integration in project networks. The developed framework improves understanding of how academic literature examines and comprehends integration in inter-organisational project networks. Furthermore, this paper shows that the research area is emerging and has until now focused mainly on construction and infrastructure sectors in the project management literature. The findings highlight consistent streams of discussion, gaps in knowledge, and propose a need for further research. There are a limited number of efforts towards creating a comprehensive understanding of how integration is presented and takes place in practice in complex project networks. This paper points out collaborative practices as the centre of academic attention. In addition, it reveals a scarce attention on exhaustive themes such as integration governance. This study creates a framework and common language for further use for academics and practitioners.

Effect of Relational Characteristics on Management of Wind Farm Interorganizational Construction Projects

AbstractThere are many studies on interorganizational projects (IOPs). Nonetheless, only a small portion of the literature examines the relationships among the different participants. This study in...

Crossing times: Temporal boundary-spanning practices in interorganizational projects

This paper introduces the notion of “temporal boundary spanning” and highlights the key role of project management in resolving temporal tensions among partners participating in interorganizational projects (IOPs). The present study, which is based on data from 93 IOPs undertaken within a major change program, relies on in-depth, semi-structured interviews, observations, and detailed analyses of written documents and procedures from those IOPs. Based on the data, we inductively develop a practice-based theory that identifies three main practices (framing, synchronizing, hyping) used to resolve the central temporal tensions observed in the studied IOPs. In that respect, the paper offers novel insights into the role and practice of project management in IOPs.

Mobile social media in inter-organizational projects: Aligning tool, task and team for virtual collaboration effectiveness

Inter-organizational projects face unique challenges and opportunities due to team diversities and task complexity. Mobile social media like WhatsApp and WeChat emerge as new-generation collaboration tools in such endeavors. Based on a literature review, this study posits that how well team-tool, task-tool and team-task relationships are handled shape virtual collaboration effectiveness. The conceptual framework, validated with the interviews from inter-organizational project team members in China and the USA, leads to a research model. The results of a larger-scale survey confirm that tool usability, task fit and team connectivity contribute to virtual collaboration effectiveness, which affects project management success and team appreciation. In addition, there are noticeable cross-country differences, especially the opposite moderating effects that degree of use imposes on the relationship between virtual collaboration effectiveness and project management success. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

So alike yet so different: A typology of interorganisational projects

Large projects are predominantly carried out in interorganisational networks that temporarily unify the efforts of multiple firms to work towards a shared goal, such as the construction of a complex infrastructure asset. While earlier research has highlighted multiple features that are salient to these interorganisational projects (IOPs), and discussed how they are managed, research that would systematically address the differences amongst IOPs is still at its infancy. Drawing on a review of existing research on project organising and network research, the current paper proposes a typology of IOPs consisting of three ideal network types: market-based network, dyad-driven network, and integrated core network. Differences amongst the three types of networks in their structural properties, governance, and antecedent factors are discussed in light of empirical examples, extending our understanding of IOPs as dominant forms of organising production across a broad range of industries.

Managing multiple-supplier project teams in new software development

Goal and resource interdependence are vital elements in structuring new software development programs distributed across multiple organizations. Yet, we know little about how the precursor interdependencies affect collaborative behaviors among the inter-organizational projects. The objective of this study is to examine the collaborative structure of multiple projects in a supplier network, particularly in the context of new software externally developed. Based on social interdependence theory (SIT), we explore the impacts of goal interdependence and resource interdependence among the inter-firm software project teams on inter-project cooperation and coordination. The focus is on the combined effect of both interdependencies to determine if they contribute additively to the promotive behaviors of cooperation and coordination. Based on a sample of matched key informants for 149 business-to-business (B2B) product development programs in China, both goal interdependence and resource interdependence have a positive influence on coordination and cooperation as suggested in the literature. However, goal and resource interdependence interact such that the effects are not additive, but that the presence of goal interdependence reduces the effect of resource interdependence.

Configurations for Interorganizational Project Networks

Projects are becoming increasingly interorganizational; therefore, typically, the project management office (PMO) of a single corporation is neither capable of nor authorized to supplying all partners of a project network with services and knowledge. On the interorganizational level, a network administrative organization (NAO) may be founded providing similar services such as those provided by PMOs, but then to all network partners. This conceptual article seeks to integrate these streams of research by comparing the roles and tasks of PMOs and NAOs, as well as their organizational embeddedness. Thereupon, four modes of interplay between these organizational entities are developed and underpinned with exemplary configurations.

Digging for Change

Delivering organizational change through interorganizational projects is a complex process, as several organizations must collaborate. The aim of this article is to understand how change and resistance are shaped in interorganizational projects. This article discusses a longitudinal case study (2012–2016) of an interorganizational project in the utility sector. The findings of the study describe four practices that both enabled and constrained change. The contribution of the article is an extension of our understanding of change and resistance in projects with the introduction of the notion of productive resistance and the notion that employees can be change agents and middle managers can be resisters.

A new scale to measure cross-organizational cultural intelligence

PurposeCross-organizational cultural intelligence (COCI) is conceptualized as an ability of individuals to interact effectively with persons from different organizational cultures. To deal with culture differences in cross-organizational context, organizations need to select employees with high COCI. This study aims to develop an instrument to measure employees’ COCI in a cross-organizational context.Design/methodology/approachThe present study was conducted in three steps to develop a scale to measure COCI. First, 39 statements were identified based on a series of interviews. Then, via a survey of 275 part-time MBA students, 18 statements were categorized into four dimensions, namely, cognition, motivation, collaborative communication and behavioral adaptability. Finally, convergent, discriminant, predictive and incremental validity of the scale were tested.FindingsThis study extends the cultural intelligence to the cross-organizational context. The COCI concept provides theoretical support for cultural intelligence research in the cross-organizational context. Therefore, the present study broadens the research field of cultural intelligence. A four-dimensional scale was developed to measure COCI, which includes cognition, motivation, collaborative communication and behavioral adaptability. High COCI can enhance employee’s performance in a cross-organizational context.Research limitations/implicationsThis study still has several limitations. First, the self-report questionnaire indicated that the relationship between COCI and other constructs may be stronger because of single-source, self-reported data collection. Second, the new scale was developed in China. Although some respondents came from foreign companies, most surveyed employees belonged to Chinese enterprises. Based on the current results, COCI scale exhibits promise as a measurable criterion, but it requires more refinement and validation. Additional work in this area can explore factors that can influence or improve individual COCI. A theoretical network of COCI that includes predictors, consequences, mediators and moderators by theoretical research can be established.Practical implicationsThe COCI scale can be used in organizational management. Also, the COCI scale can help organizations understand the meanings of the employees’ COCI and select employees with high COCI during the recruitment. It makes managers easier to choose qualified candidates for inter-organizational projects. Beyond that, organizations can develop employees’ COCI according to the proposed four dimensions.Originality/valueThe development of the valid COCI scale will facilitate future research on boundary spanning. The COCI scale can measure individual cultural intelligence in a cross-organizational context. The present study has verified that COCI is different from emotional intelligence and provided a new perspective to explore the importance of individual ability in boundary-spanning activities. The instrumental support can help researchers effectively understand COCI and explore its potentials in boundary-spanning activities.

Dual dynamics: Project-based institutional work and subfield differences in the Dutch construction industry

This article examines how actors use relational institutional work in inter-organizational projects (IOPs) to mobilize key stakeholders from two loosely coupled subfields with the aim to institutionalize a new project delivery method with new underlying practices. In our longitudinal case study in a project-based business, in this case the Dutch construction industry, we identified three types of relational institutional work: awareness creation, selective networking, and coalition building. We found that institutional work was relatively effective in the co-supplier subfield and less effective in the architectural subfield. We explain this by zooming in on the differences between these two subfields on three interrelated dimensions that manifested themselves in institutional IOPs: nature of activities, social positions, and coopetition. Our study connects the literature on IOPs with developments in institutional theory and further advances the institutional project management literature.

The dynamics of collaborative practices for knowledge creation in joint R&D projects

Abstract Purpose We aim to elucidate how the dynamics of collaborative practices in research and development (R&D) projects occur and to reveal the main practices adopted in developing an ambidextrous project. The dynamics of R&D practices in knowledge creation arise from complementary practices of exploration and exploitation undertaken over the lifespan of an inter-organizational project that trigger an ambidextrous process of innovation. Design/methodology/approach This study involves interpretative guidance. We elaborate upon the history of the development of a collaborative R&D project in an intensive knowledge industry, the semiconductor industry, and use narrative as the methodological framework in a single case study with a processual approach. We conducted 65 interviews that were supported by secondary inventories of data that consisted of 167 files. Findings The type of collaborative practice adopted in a joint R&D project varies based on the stocks of knowledge required to make the concept a reality and also as a strategy of knowledge creation adopted in each project phase, ensuring a dynamic synthesis between tacit and explicit knowledge. We propose a three-dimensional model that accounts for the adoption of different practices throughout the life cycle of a collaborative ambidextrous R&D project. Practical implications We identified 19 collaborative practices of inter-organizational knowledge creation that ensure the dynamics of innovation using complementary exploration and exploitation approaches. Originality/Value This study makes important contributions to the relational view and the theory of knowledge creation, offering a contribution to understanding the origin of ambidextrous practices in knowledge creation throughout the life cycle of an R&D project.

Project Networks as Constellations for Value Creation

Through an empirical study of two inter-organizational project networks in a cultural setting, this article explores how value is created in project networks. The article discusses recent theoretical developments that suggest linking value constellations and project networks. The findings focus on how value is created; this is done through identifying four key value creation activities: developing infrastructure, creating knowledge, changing minds, and managing for value capture. In light of this, two value constellations are suggested, and the service-dominant logic is applied for developing a conceptual model of value creation in project networks, including theoretical and practical implications.

How to claim what is mine: Negotiating professional roles in inter-organizational projects

Professional roles within inter-organizational projects have become increasingly diverse and contested, yet little is known about how the members of a profession react to the threats of marginalization these collaborative settings entail. Focusing on the architectural profession, in which historically established role boundaries have become particularly blurred, we analyse how professionals address the concept of these boundaries in order to negotiate their roles in inter-organizational projects. Drawing on empirical data from interviews with project architects, we identify and detail three types of boundary work: reinstating role boundaries, bending role boundaries, and pioneering role boundaries. These categories exemplify how professionals may frame the threat of marginalization differently depending upon their preconceptions of what constitutes professional work. This study provides important insights into how professionals reclaim, change, or temporarily adapt their practice domains in inter-organizational projects; how their boundary work practices help to (re)shape role structures; and how these practices may trigger different paths of professional evolution.