Organizational change projects suffer from a high failure rate. Extant literature identified structural inertia as the main cause of resistance to change. This structural inertia puts invisible shackles on organizations and makes the change process difficult or even pulls organizations back to their former state. However, it is still unknown how these organizations can be unchained. Drawing on an institutional logic perspective and based on an intriguing organizational change project of a state-owned company in China, we explored how institutional logic changes in organizational change projects. The results indicate that institutional change occurs through organizational deinstitutionalization, organizational institution building, and organizational reinstitutionalization across both individual and organizational levels. We developed a theory for successfully securing change efforts that relies on the level-crossing alteration of institutional logic that shackles employee behaviors. A model of institutional logic change is proposed to illustrate the organizational change carried out in the form of projects from an institutional logic perspective. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed.
Malik, Muhammad Yousaf; Wang, Linzhuo & Zhu, Fangwei (2024)
Understanding variations of governmentality and governance structures at the project level in project-based organizations
Purpose Variations of human-versus-structure and within-humans at the organizational and the project level are critical in shaping the internal arrangement for effectiveness of project-based organization’s (PBOs) governance. Recent discourse presents governmentality at the organizational level and leadership at the project level as human agency of governance, whereas governance structures to be their counterpart. However, project-level mechanisms of governmentality that can help to understand possible variations among these governance dimensions remained veiled. This study uses institutional theory to explore these internal arrangements accommodated by variations of PBOs governance dimensions at the project level. Design/methodology/approach The study followed Eisenhardt protocols of multiple case study design using an abductive research approach. Considering the heterogeneity of governance as a phenomenon in literature, boundary conditions were established before theorizing the model of the study to avoid ambiguities and define the research scope. Five PBOs were chosen using theoretical sampling, yielding 70 interviews. Data were analyzed by constant comparison with theory, using replication logic and cross-case analysis. Findings Findings revealed that project managers perform a buffer function for governmentality at the project level. Identified mechanisms of governmentality at the project level included two downward mechanisms, i.e. communication and informal interactions of governors, and two upward mechanisms of adaptation and reciprocity by project managers and project team members. Cross-analysis for variations among PBOs’ governance at the project level revealed seven arrangements showcasing synergies or contrasts. Originality/value The study adds to organizational project management literature by advancing the significance of congruence between humans and structures in project governance. Furthermore, the synchronization of the project manager’s leadership style with the governmentality approach and governance structure of PBOs is of crucial importance at the project level. Findings suggest the same by showcasing synergetic versus contrasting internal arrangements accommodated in varying PBOs governance dimensions. Implications highlight that synergies among PBOs governance dimensions and project manager’s styles can minimize conflicts and inconsistencies in governance implementation, whereas contrasts might trigger them.
Wang, Linzhuo; Wang, Xinnan & Liu, Xuemei (2024)
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.
Müller, Ralf Josef & Wang, Linzhuo (2024)
A Taxonomy of Project Management Offices and Their Organizational Project Management Landscapes
Organizational project management (OPM) integrates project-related activities in organizations, including project management offices (PMOs) and their services. Using an organizational design perspective, this study models nine different PMO service delivery categories along scope, frequency, and delivery entity and identifies their particular OPM contexts (i.e., landscapes). Two hundred and sixty-five responses to a global survey identified nine types of OPM landscapes, grouped into three regions, with their particular logic of investment in OPM and their particular PMO service mix. The framework helps practitioners set up their PMOs in line with established practices. Academics benefit from a base for theorizing organizational designs using OPM.
Wang, Linzhuo; Wang, Xinnan & Zhu, Fangwei (2023)
Toward a theory of resilience governance: insights from megaprojects in China
Müller, Ralf Josef; Sankaran, Shankar & Drouin, Nathalie (red.). Research Handbook on the Governance of Projects
The global pandemic and the economic downturn have raised scholarly and practical concerns about project resilience. The growing literature on resilience management in projects calls for research on improving project resilience through governance measures. In this chapter, we theorize resilience governance by generating insights from four case megaprojects in China. The results reveal that for projects to be resilient, project participants are encouraged to form a loosely coupled system. A resilience governance model encompassing multilevel governance (macro, meso, and micro level) and mixed governance mechanisms (contractual, relational, and hierarchical governance) is proposed. Practical and theoretical contributions are discussed.
Daniel, Carole; Hülsheger, Ute R., Kudesia, Ravi S., Sankaran, Shankar & Wang, Linzhuo (2023)
Over the last decade, the ability to manage unforeseen or complex situations has been recognized as a key skill for project managers. Project management has been conceptualized as a problem in information, insofar as project performance depends on the ability to capture the information needed to make the right decisions in a context where this information is limited and sometimes changing. Mindfulness—the study of which has exploded in the management sciences over the last 20 years—may prove highly relevant as a meta-cognitive practice for improving the individual and collective performance of project stakeholders. This essay aims at sparking new avenues for research at the crossroads of mindfulness and projects and highlights promising research questions along seven research themes to be addressed in future studies. In this way, we hope to arouse the interest of researchers from the project and mindfulness communities and, thus, contribute to the structuring of mindfulness research in project contexts.
Daniel, Carole; Hülsheger, Ute R., Kudesia, Ravi S., Sankaran, Shankar & Wang, Linzhuo (1)
Call for papers: Mindfulness in project management
International Journal of Project Management [Kronikk]
Wang, Linzhuo; Kvinen, Tor Geir & Karlsen, Jan Terje (2024)
Right product, wrong time? Temporal legitimacy of New Product Development in projects
[Academic lecture]. Academy of Management Conference.
