I hold a PhD degree in strategic management from BI Norwegian Business School, and is associate professor in the Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at BI. I am affiliated with BI's Center for the construction industry, which is one of BI's research centers. I was leading the center between 2008-2023.
Research areas
My research interests are within themes related to inter-organizational relationsships and collaborative strategies in project-based organizations, supply chains, and networks, particularly for coping with complex societal challenges.
Teaching areas
My teaching areas are within strategy and SCM, including procurement.
The turbulent business environment highlights the need for strategies for mitigating, responding to, and recovering from (that is, managing) supply chain disruptions. Resources are central in these strategies but remain unspecified in the literature. This paper shows how the resource interaction approach (RIA) can help understanding resources in this setting by acknowledging their interactive and networked nature. Based on a conceptual discussion that compares key assumptions within the supply chain risk management (SCRM) and supply chain risk resilience (SCRes) literatures with the RIA, we propose an alternative approach to strategies for managing supply chain disruptions. We challenge the SCRM and SCRes literatures by emphasizing interdependence (as opposed to independence) and pointing to relationships as key resources in strategies for managing supply chain disruptions. Collaboration relying on an interplay between temporary and permanent organizing is suggested as a starting point instead of being just one of several alternative strategies.
Glass, Jacqueline; Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth & Hall, Daniel (2022)
Transforming construction: the multi-scale challenges of changing and innovating in construction.
Construction Management and Economics
Swärd, Anna; Kvålshaugen, Ragnhild & Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth (2022)
Unpacking the Duality of Control and Trust in Inter-Organizational Relationships through Action-Reaction Cycles
To ensure cooperation, parties in inter-organizational relationships (IORs) draw upon both control and trust. Yet, how control–trust dynamics change as IORs evolve remains unclear. This study illuminates the interplay between control–trust dynamics and IOR dynamics by unpacking how control and trust refer to and create one another through action–reaction cycles. We find that conflicting enactments of vulnerability and risk caused by critical incidents lead to tensions between the parties (IOR dynamics) regarding how and when they rely on control and trust. Consequently, coping practices are applied to redefine the controlling and trusting domain and mediate between the multiple and temporal domains to ensure that control and trust refer to and create one another to (re)form positive expectations. The study's main implication is that it makes little sense to study control-trust dynamics in IORs, like other relational phenomena, in isolation and at a single point in time.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth; Sand-Holm, Sanne, Pakoglu, Ceyda & Svalestuen, Fredrik (2022)
Challenges of Performance Measurement in Lean Construction and the Last Planner System®: A Norwegian Case
Lean construction has inspired the AEC industry globally over the last decades, and this manifests within a wide array of contexts. The purpose of this paper is to provide a narrative-based qualitative analysis of the emergence and impact of Lean construction on a national level, notably in the Norwegian AEC industry. The analysis is based on the concept of paradigm shift and on empirical knowledge in the form of narratives. The narratives of practitioners and researchers provide deep insights into how Lean Construction has inspired the Norwegian AEC industry and academia, respectively. The reflections indicate that the introduction of the Lean construction principles and tools in the Norwegian AEC industry has depended on promoters who have been convinced about its advantages. The role of active promoters – in particular Dr. Glenn Ballard – is underlined as key to successful introduction of Lean Construction. Key cultural features of the Norwegian AEC industry are emphasized as important success factors. Lean Construction in Norway needs to be understood as a phenomenon occurring within a setting that is generally advantageous but also following an effort carried out on several levels. Key elements that can be used within other contexts are (1) the existence of promoters, (2) cooperation between industry and academic circles, (3) a high degree of trust and (4) a predominance of bottom-up organizations within the industry with few levels of hierarchy.
Flygansvær, Bente Merete; Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth & Harrison, Debbie (2021)
Bærekraft er et ord som favner bredt. Faglitteraturen kaller det den tredelte bunnlinjen, der bærekraft skal gi positive gevinster på samfunns-, bedrifts- og individnivå. For bedrifter innebærer det at man skal realisere gevinster for bedriften selv, men også for miljøet og samfunnet. Denne kompleksiteten gjør det krevende å konkretisere og gjennomføre nye løsninger, og resultatet blir at bærekraft er noe det er lett å snakke om, men vanskelig å gjøre. I denne artikkelen tar vi utgangspunkt i et samarbeid mellom tre aktører om en ny løsning for bærekraftig massehåndtering[1] til og fra bygg- og anleggsprosjekter (BA) i Oslo. Gjennom å mobilisere sine respektive ressurser har aktørene utviklet en løsning som involverer gjenvinning av slike masser og mindre CO2-utslipp knyttet til transport av disse. Men aktørene har støtt på utfordringer i økosystemet rundt, og løsningen er enda ikke realisert. Vi diskuterer dette eksempelet i lys av et industrielt nettverksperspektiv og argumenterer for at mobilisering av ressurser på det vi kan kalle bedriftsnivå, ikke er tilstrekkelig for å realisere bærekraftige løsninger – det må også skje i det omliggende økosystemet. Mobilisering på bedriftsnivå kan imidlertid skape ny dynamikk og gi utviklingsmuligheter som på lengre sikt kan bidra til å realisere slike bærekraftige løsninger.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth; Swärd, Anna & Vaagaasar, Anne Live (2021)
A Routine Dynamics Lens on the Stability-Change Dilemma in Project-Based Organizations
A central issue in project-based organizations (PBOs) is how to balance the need for flexibly responding to changing customer demands and creating consistent performance in the organization at large. This article discusses the relevance of a routine dynamics lens for understanding this dilemma. We show how routine dynamics might help to understand how and under what conditions routines—with their dual capacity for stability and change—produce a variety of performances, some stable and some varying, in the PBO. As such, we contribute to the stream of research that seeks to explain how PBOs build capabilities and how they work.
I løpet av dette århundret vil klimaet endre seg så betydelig i Norge at vi risikerer at vårt eksisterende bygde miljø ikke vil tåle endringene. Bygg og infrastruktur har et planlagt livsløp som strekker seg langt frem i tid, til et klima som er våtere, villere og varmere enn det vi har i dag. For å sikre at våre hjem, skoler, sykehus, arbeidsplasser, veier og annen infrastruktur er robuste på lengre sikt, må vi allerede i dag planlegge for det fremtidige klimaet. All samfunnsplanlegging og investering skal være velbegrunnet og gjennomtenkt. Samfunnsøkonomiske analyser er ofte et krav og en viktig del av beslutningsgrunnlaget til våre forvaltningsorgan. Men, dagens kost-nytteanalyser fanger verken opp kostnadene av klimaendringene godt nok eller nyttene ved ulike klimatilpasningstiltak. Kost-nytteanalyser generelt er heller ikke velegnet til å sikre helhetlig klimatilpasning og samordning på tvers av sektorer. Til dette trenger vi nye metoder og verktøy.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth; Swärd, Anna & Vaagaasar, Anne Live (2020)
Temporal shaping of routine patterning.
Reinecke, Juliane; Suddaby, Roy, Langley, Ann & Tsoukas, Haridimos (red.). Time, Temporality, and History in Process Organization Studies
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth; Swärd, Anna & Vaagaasar, Anne Live (2019)
Routines as truces in temporary multi-organizations
It is widely held that collaborative project delivery models, such as partnering, represent a key means of improving construction project performance. Institutionalizing these models in practice, however, is not straightforward. We suggest that the (in)ability to establish new routines may be one reason for the variance in partnering outcomes. Based on a study of a partnering project, we develop a model of how partnering is institutionalized through the establishment of routines, enabled through common understanding and truces between the partners’ interests. The model illustrates how such routines develop through a balance between top-down structural interventions and emergent social learning processes.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth & Kvålshaugen, Ragnhild (2018)
Practices in Institutional Prosjects as Moblizers of Change: A Case of Adaptation to Climate Change
Purpose – Previous research shows that implementing lean construction is not a straightforward task. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of formal and informal mechanisms in implementing lean principles in construction projects. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on a single case study of the implementation of innovative lean principles in a public construction project in Norway. The study is based on qualitative data, including 17 semi-structured interviews with 21 individuals, document analysis, and observations in meetings and seminars, in addition to informal conversations. Findings – Formal mechanisms, including contractual arrangements, have the potential to both facilitate and hamper the implementation of innovative lean principles in a construction project. They might create coherence, but at the same time they might limit the scope of the concept in such a way that others do not accept it. Informal mechanisms, including social and lateral relationships and trust aid implementation, both directly by creating commitment and by modifying the challenges that the formal mechanisms potentially incur. Formal mechanisms may, in turn, nurture the informal ones. Research limitations/implications – The research is based on a single case study within the Norwegian public sector, which is dependent on specific public procurement regulations and subject to strong contractual traditions. Originality/value – The research extends the existing knowledge of implementation of lean construction in the construction industry. It helps refining the understanding of the role played by formal and informal mechanisms, and the interplay between them in the implementation process. This knowledge is also relevant for process innovations in construction in general.
Swärd, Anna & Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth (2017)
Lean Construction i et Strategisk perspektiv
Kalsaas, Bo Terje (red.). Lean Construction. Forstå og forbedre prosjektbasert produksjon
Pryke, Stephen; Badi, Sulafa & Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth (2017)
Editorial for the special issue on social networks in construction
Almås, Anders-Johan; Time, Berit, Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth & Lisø, Kim Robert (2016)
How can a research centre facilitate innovations for climate adaptation of buildings and infrastructure?
et al, . (red.). 4th Nordic Conference on Climate Change Adaptation "From Research to Actions and Transformation", August 29-31 2016 in Bergen, Norway. Book of Abstracts
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth & Swärd, Anna Sundberg (2015)
Strategizing in Project-Based Organizations: The Role of Internal and External Relationships
Das, T.K. (red.). The practice of behavioral strategy
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth; Dewulf, Geert & Levitt, Raymond E. (2015)
The interplay between formal and informal contracting in integrated project delivery
Construction Management and Economics, 27(7), s. 695- 704.
Harrison, Debbie & Bygballe, Lena (2006)
Learning and routines in resourcing
Resourcing in Business Logistics. The Art of Systematic Combining, Jahre et al
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth (2021)
Store samfunnsutfordringer løses best i felleskap
BI Business Review [Internett]
Hinna, Anne Kari & Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth (2013)
Bruk av innleie i norsk byggenæring
[Avis]
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth (2012)
Nye konkurranseforhold i byggebransjen
El magasinet [Avis]
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth (2012)
Endringer i arkitektbransjen
Arkitektnytt [Avis]
Glass, Jacqueline; Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth & Hall, Daniel (1)
Transforming construction: the multi-scale challenges of changing and innovating in construction
Construction Management and Economics [Kronikk]
van Oorschot, Kimball Elizabeth; Jahre, Marianne, Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth, Engebrethsen, Erna & Flygansvær, Bente Merete (2024)
Resilience of Critical Infrastructures
[Academic lecture]. EUROMA.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth; Firmo, Hugo & Kvålshaugen, Ragnhild (2021)
Nye forretningsmodeller for sirkulær økonomi i bygg-, anleggs- og eiendomsnæringen (BAE). En litteraturstudie.
[Report]. Handelshøyskolen BI.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth; Flygansvær, Bente Merete & Harrison, Debbie (2021)
RESOURCE INTERACTION AS THE MISSING LENS IN COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR GRAND CHALLENGES
[Academic lecture]. EGOS 2022.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth & Leifseth, Anne Britt (2021)
Naturfareforum – resultater, evaluering og veien videre
[Report]. NVE.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth; Flygansvær, Bente Merete, Harrison, Debbie & Soldal, Olav B. (2021)
Hvordan få til sirkulær massehåndtering for bygg- og anleggsprosjekter i Oslo-området?
[Report]. BI Norwegian Business School.
Dette forprosjektet har hatt som formål å identifisere interessante aspekter og problemstillinger knyttet til spørsmålet: Hvordan kan man få til sirkulær massehåndtering til og fra bygg- og anleggsprosjekter i Oslo-området? For å svare på spørsmålet, har vi ved Handelshøyskolen BI gjennomført en casestudie av et konsept for massehåndtering på Grønlia i Oslo havn i regi Skanska Industrial Solutions (SIS) i samarbeid med Oslo Havn KF og AF Decom. Konseptet er fortsatt ikke realisert, og ligger til politisk klagebehandling etter avslag i plan- og bygningsetaten i Oslo kommune, men caset representerer et interessant eksempel på hva som skal til for å utvikle og implementere sirkulære løsninger for massehåndtering. I tillegg til Grønlia-konseptet, er det flere andre pågående initiativer som er satt i gang i løpet av de siste årene med tanke på å håndtere utfordringen med masser i Oslo-området. Dette vitner om at problemstillingen har blitt satt på agendaen, både på politisk- og næringsnivå samt blant ulike interessegrupper. Grønlia-caset må dermed sees på som en del av et større økosystem for massehåndtering i Oslo og omegn.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth; Flygansvær, Bente Merete & Harrison, Debbie (2020)
Initiating a circular network: Quantifying monetary and carbon trade-offs in butterfly resource interactions
[Academic lecture]. 36th annual IMP conference.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth & Swärd, Anna (2020)
The Role of Middle Managers in the Strategic Renewal Process: From Mediators to Generators
[Academic lecture]. SMS 40th Annual Conference in London.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth; Thomassen, Maria Kristina Kollberg & Riis, Christian (2020)
Temasamling. Samfunnsøkonomiske aspekter ved klimatilpasning
[Report]. SINTEF akademisk forlag.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth; Kokkonen, Anne & Kvålshaugen, Ragnhild (2020)
What makes collaboration works?
[Report]. SINTEF Community.
Kvålshaugen, Ragnhild; Swärd, Anna & Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth (2020)
Controlling as caring: Exploring Control-trust dynamics in interorganizational relationships
[Academic lecture]. AOM conference.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth; Swärd, Anna & Vaagaasar, Anne Live (2020)
The role of connective technologies in mediating tensions between temporal logics across organizational levels in project based firms
[Academic lecture]. EURAM.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth; Swärd, Anna & Vaagaasar, Anne Live (2019)
Routines as truces in temporary multi-organizations
[Academic lecture]. Academy of Management Meeting.
Swärd, Anna; Vaagaasar, Anne Live & Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth (2019)
On connectivity, temporality, and organizational change processes
[Academic lecture]. Academy of Management Meeting.
Kvålshaugen, Ragnhild; Swärd, Anna & Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth (2019)
Controlling for trust or distrust?
[Academic lecture]. Academy of Management Meeting.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth; Swärd, Anna & Vaagaasar, Anne Live (2019)
Connective technologies and temporality in the realm of organizational change processes
[Academic lecture]. Process Symposium.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth; Swärd, Anna & Vaagaasar, Anne Live (2019)
Routines as truces in inter-organizational projects
[Academic lecture]. EURAM.
Bygballe, Lena Elisabeth; Klovning, Frida & Paulsen, Linda (2019)
Integrated Project Delivery (IPD): En litteraturstudie
