Inter-organizational Projects Research Articles

The Knowledge Acquisition Process in Interorganizational Projects: A Multiple-Case Study of Infrastructural Projects in Pakistan

Knowledge acquisition is pivotal for delivering successful interorganizational projects where multiple organizations are involved. The phenomenon, however, has been the subject of very few comprehensive empirical studies. Hence, this article sets out to understand how knowledge is acquired, particularly in the context of interorganizational projects. It explores the knowledge acquisition process at different levels, including the individual, team, organizational, and interorganizational levels. For this purpose, metro train and metro bus projects in Pakistan were examined. A multicase study approach is employed in this article; semistructured interviews and archival documents are included in the empirical data. Within and across case analysis is used for analyzing the data. The findings present the knowledge acquisition process, including types of knowledge (i.e., explicit and tacit knowledge) and multiple levels such as individuals, teams, organizations, and the interorganizational level. By examining knowledge acquisition in interorganizational projects, this article contributes to the literature on knowledge-based theory.

Project Governance and Governance of Interorganizational Project Networks: Toward Understanding Their Relationships and Future Research Agenda

This article considers and reflects upon the mark that Ralf Müller made through his published research on project governance. From project governance to governance of interorganizational project networks, Müller, along with his coauthors, has made significant contributions to project governance literature. In light of these two decades of theoretical development, we compare and synthesize the key elements of project governance and network governance. We provide a model that integrates project governance and network governance and propose several main themes for future research, including investigation of network governors, network governance design, mechanisms and principles, and its impact on improved project performance.

The Mandate of Project Management Offices Beyond Organizational Boundaries—Still A Blind Spot for Organizational Design?

Based on conceptual reasoning, combined with illustrations from the air cargo industry, this article proposes a gradual broadening of the concept of what project management offices (PMOs) are responsible for to provide added value to the collaborating organizations when planning for and executing inter­organizational projects. Thus far, the ability of PMOs to support interorganizational projects and practices has been restricted—this goes for project management practice as well as a lack of concepts and theoretical reasoning from research in the domain of project studies. Against this background, this article distinguishes four types of PMOs and identifies promising organizational design elements pointing to functions and barriers, as well as to the interorganizational bridging practices of PMOs in support of their inter­organizational responsibilities.

A project-as-practice perspective on helping behavior and reciprocity in an inter-organizational project

Much research on project management links clear roles and responsibilities stemming from formal job descriptions to successful project performance and processes. However, research on discretionary behavior suggests that individuals’ voluntary commitments, which are not part of the contractual tasks, such as giving help, also contribute to organizational success. Drawing on ethnographic data and a practice theoretical perspective, we investigate the role and impact of helping on the social life of an inter-organizational project. We show how actors engaging in acts of helping assume roles of receivers and givers of help. We show that the establishment of these roles prompts behavior on behalf of the actors, which may have an adversarial impact on the contractually defined roles and thus pose central challenges for the rational management of projects. We conclude by arguing that the connection between practice and social life applies to all social practices, which means that project managers should pay close attention to the actualities of project practices.

Co-RISK: a tool to co-create impactful university–industry projects for natural hazard risk mitigation

Abstract. Translation of geoscience research into tangible changes, such as modified decisions, processes, or policy, in the wider world is an important yet notably difficult process. Illustratively, university-based scientists and professionals work on different timescales, seek different insights, and may have a substantial cognitive distance between them. The work on Co-RISK reported in this paper is motivated by an ongoing need for mechanisms to aid this translation process. Co-RISK is an accessible (i.e. open access, paper based, zero cost) toolkit for use by stakeholder groups within workshops. Co-RISK has been developed to aid the co-creation of collaborative inter-organisational projects to translate risk-related science into modified actions. It is shaped to avoid adding to a proliferation in increasingly complex frameworks for assessing natural hazard risk and is given a robust basis by incorporating paradox theory from organisation studies, which deal with navigating the genuine tensions between industry and research organisations that stem from their differing roles. Specifically designed to ameliorate the organisational paradox, a Co-RISK workshop draws up “maps” including key stakeholders (e.g. regulator, insurer, university) and their positionality (e.g. barriers, concerns, motivations) and identifies exactly the points where science might modify actions. Ultimately a Co-RISK workshop drafts simple and tailored project-specific frameworks that span from climate to hazard, to risk, to implications of that risk (e.g. solvency). The action research approach used to design Co-RISK, its implementation in a trial session for the insurance sector, and its intellectual contribution are described and evaluated. The initial Co-RISK workshop was well received so it is envisaged to be applicable to other sectors (i.e. transport infrastructure, utilities, government). Joint endeavours enabled by Co-RISK could fulfil the genuine need to quickly convert the latest insights from environmental research into real-world climate change adaptation strategies.

Effective Combinations of Control Strategies in Inter-Organizational Projects

Effective Combinations of Control Strategies in Inter-Organizational Projects

Governance of Inter-organizational Project Networks

Governance of Inter-organizational Project Networks

LLM-jp: Inter-organizational Project for the Development of Japanese Large Language Models

LLM-jp: Inter-organizational Project for the Development of Japanese Large Language Models

Effect of Construction Manager's Political Skills on Relationship between Quality Management Practices and Inter-Organizational Project Success

This study aims to explore the impact of construction managers' political skills on the relationship between quality management practices and the success of inter-organizational construction projects in Pakistan. Objectively, it examines how project managers' political acumen influences the effectiveness of quality management strategies and, consequently, project success. Employing a survey-based methodology, the research encompasses a broad spectrum of professionals involved in various construction projects across Pakistan. Through this analysis, the study identifies key challenges to project success and assesses the correlation between managerial political skills and the effective implementation of quality management practices. The findings reveal a notable positive relationship between these elements, highlighting the critical role of skills such as communication, stakeholder management, and conflict resolution. Additionally, the research underscores the interconnected nature of managerial competencies and identifies key factors impacting project success through advanced statistical techniques like principal component analysis and median absolute deviation. Significantly, this research provides novel insights into the role of human factors in the Pakistani construction industry's project management, proposing actionable strategies for skill enhancement and offering a comprehensive overview of factors influencing project success. These findings not only show the current skills and practices landscape but also lay the groundwork for future research and strategy implementation to boost industry-wide success. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2024-010-01-019 Full Text: PDF

Corrigendum to A Multilevel Governance Model for Interorganizational Project Networks

Corrigendum to A Multilevel Governance Model for Interorganizational Project Networks

Large interorganizational projects (LIPs): Toward an integrative perspective and research agenda on interorganizational governance

Large interorganizational projects (<scp>LIPs</scp>): Toward an integrative perspective and research agenda on interorganizational governance

Navigating Temporary Organizations: A Narrative Perspective

Temporary organizations (TOs) can be viewed as a collection of narratives about the past and the future that can potentially shape organizational outcomes. An in-depth, longitudinal study of a time-bound inter-organizational project that served rural India's educational needs shows how multi-authored narratives and practices in temporary organizations influence each other. When the narratives are coherent with respect to the past and the future, the actors engage in mitigative practices, and the project develops. If the narratives diverge, the actors engage in self-serving practices hindering the project. The narrative view affords us a novel lens to understand the dynamics that shape practices and outcomes within temporary organizations. Our findings also have practical implications for TO management—understanding the plurality of narratives and emphasizing the importance of aligning them.

The evolution of research and development cooperation in dynamically interorganizational project networks: Effects of reference‐point‐based expectations

AbstractConsidering the coevolution of interorganizational project and social networks, this study examines the evolution of research and development (R&amp;D) cooperation by simulating the play of an appropriate game model. We assume that decision‐makers are aggressive or prudent in terms of expectations. The results show that the effects of expectation type and heterogeneity on cooperation evolution depend on the project scale. Aggressive decision‐makers are more sensitive to free‐riding behaviors than prudent decision‐makers. The effect of supervision on cooperation is contingent on decision‐makers' expectations. Finally, the study develops suggestions for the governance of interorganizational R&amp;D cooperation.

CLIPS: Enriching interorganizational R&amp;D project management by a project culture focus

Project managers still face management problems in interorganizational Research and Development (R&amp;D) projects due to their limited authority. Addressing a project culture which is conducive to cooperation and innovation in interorganizational R&amp;D project management demands commitment of individual project members and thus balances this limited authority. However, the relational collaboration level at which project culture manifests itself is not addressed by current project management approaches, or it is addressed only at a late stage. Consequently, project culture develops within a predefined framework of project organization and organized contents and thus is not actively targeted. Therefore, a focus shift towards project culture becomes necessary. This can be done by a project-culture-aware management. The method CLIPS actively supports interorganizational project members in this kind of management. It should be integrable in the common project management approaches, that with its application all collaboration levels are addressed in interorganizational R&amp;D project management. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the integrability of the method CLIPS and show how it can be integrated in common project management approaches. This enriches interorganizational R&amp;D project management by a project culture focus.

Governance, cooperation and coordination in large inter-organisational project networks: a viable system perspective

PurposeThis study aims to further the understanding of multi-level analysis in inter-organisational relationships by investigating the interplay of governance, cooperation and coordination in inter-organisational projects (IOPs) on sub-system and project levels.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use the Viable Systems Model as a framework to analyse inter-organisational project governance, cooperation and coordination by adopting a multiple-case study.FindingsThe findings illustrate how governance and coordination mechanisms exhibit a filter-down effect on lower sub-systems while cooperation influence is confined within each sub-system. While remarking the importance of specific sub-systems on the overall project performance, the interplay of governance, cooperation and coordination across sub-systems appears to be complex, with governance influencing cooperation and coordination, whereas cooperation and coordination influence each other with an incremental effect.Originality/valueThis study defines two propositions that explain how multiple levels of analysis (project and sub-systems) can support the governance of large inter-organisational projects. The authors elaborate theory on the interplay of inter-organisational project governance, cooperation and coordination.

Owners managing the commercial interface on complex projects: A pluralistic theoretical perspective

Research on the commercial interface in inter-organisational projects has developed in recent years but still has weaknesses, principally due to its theoretical reliance on transaction cost economics (TCE). We address those weaknesses by providing an innovative intervention-based research (IBR) study of owner commercial strategy development for a complex project that goes beyond TCE to provide a pluralistic perspective. We show how this pluralistic perspective, which we dub the four forces model, provides the principles for the development of commercial strategy for managing the commercial interface by project owners. We then show how the owner's commercial strategy evolved in the face of capability constraints as it moved through the project lifecycle. We thereby contribute to theory and practice in project organising research first by situating the commercial interface between the owner and the supplier domains of project organising as a central concern in project organising research; second, by providing an empirical basis for the strategic management of the commercial interface by project owners; third by developing a pluralistic perspective on managing the commercial interface from a project owner point of view that moves beyond the current reliance on TCE theory; and fourth by introducing IBR as a novel research method.

Mapping interorganizational knowledge sharing mechanisms in projects from the socio-technical perspective

Interorganizational knowledge sharing (IKS) has become an important strategy for project organizations to drive high performance in interorganizational projects. Distinct IKS mechanisms (i.e., the management activities facilitating IKS among organizations) are proposed in the existing literature. However, the matching between knowledge categorization and IKS mechanisms are less explored. From the socio-technical perspective, this study employed grounded theory to identify and match different types of knowledge and IKS mechanisms. Qualitative data collected from primary and secondary sources were integrated to triangulate the research findings. Four categories of knowledge were identified based on their characteristics, including knowledge tacitness and heterogeneity. Then, a four-dimension framework of IKS mechanisms (i.e., event, social, technical, and document mechanisms) was developed to form matching configurations to facilitate IKS in different scenarios. This framework deepens our understanding of how to form strategies to apply proper IKS mechanisms to facilitate the sharing of different types of knowledge from the socio-technical perspective.

Governance of Interorganizational Projects: A Process-Based Approach Applied to a Latin American–European Case

This article proposes a theoretical–conceptual model that describes how the governance of collaborative interorganizational projects (IOPs) develops over time. The model is based on empirical insights from a process-based study, which reveals that IOP governance relies on key partners as holders of a project’s capacity for specialization, centralization, coordination, and control over time. The results also show that trust and interpersonal relationships are essential elements for effective governance and the generation of relational rents. Moreover, relational factors help compensate for the destabilization of the governance configuration in case of unexpected events. These insights contribute to a theory of successful IOP management as a matter of dynamic governance.

Towards a sense of urgency for innovation realization: a case study on complacency asymmetries in interorganizational relations

This paper seeks to explore the concept of complacency as a barrier to the sense of urgency within product innovation, by investigating the concept on behalf of interfirm project partners. More specifically, the study aims to understand complacency within the context of an industrial research project in Norway subject to material substitution of an energy transmission tower. As such, the study seeks to give a contextual understanding of complacency for innovation realization (e.g., innovation speed) from a single case study. The study identified different complacency mechanism asymmetries on behalf of the actors, as well as the varying reasons (drivers) to why urgency gaps may occur among actors. The urgency gaps were found to impact a sense of urgency and thus innovation speed negatively. The asymmetries are presented from the drivers: role understanding, competence, project intent, risk and trust. Moreover, the urgency gaps’ implications for interorganizational project collaboration, and how they contribute to theory on industrial product innovation, are explained. The findings contribute with new insights on important mechanisms for how a sense of urgency may be enhanced in research projects subject to interorganizational innovation. Theoretical contributions thus relate to enhanced understanding of complacency asymmetry in product innovation collaboration, and how trust is an important dimension for urgency creation.

How Governance of Interorganizational Projects Develops Resilience: Mediating Role of Resource Reconfiguration

The resilience of interorganizational projects has attracted increasing attention from researchers and practitioners. However, the impact of governance of interorganizational relationships on project resilience has not been understood or empirically investigated. Using dynamic capability theory, this study investigated the mechanism by which interorganizational governance influences project resilience. According to the literature and theoretical analysis, resource reconfiguration is identified as a mediator between interorganizational governance and project resilience. It was conducted by a quantitative analysis of a survey of the engineering industry in China using structural equation modeling. The findings show that both contractual governance and relational governance are enablers of project resilience. This unpacks how this relationship can be achieved through resource reconfiguration as the mediator and contract governance partially function through relational elements. Drawing on the dynamic capability view, our findings enrich the body of knowledge of resilience in the project realm by exploring the impact of contractual and relational governance mechanisms on project resilience.