The local government project: A matchmaker or a troublemaker?

IF 7.4 1区管理学 Q1 MANAGEMENT

International Journal of Project Management Pub Date : 2025-01-01 DOI:10.1016/j.ijproman.2025.102674

Grete Hagebakken, Trude Høgvold Olsen, Elsa Solstad

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Abstract

Several studies have focused on local government as project-supported organisations (PSOs) initiating projects aiming to solve non-routine activities, but we know less about the widespread practice of initiating projects to solve recurrent problems in daily operations. This paper reports findings from a qualitative, longitudinal study of how a project team in a Norwegian local authority navigated tensions in their efforts to solve a daily operations challenge. Our findings contribute to the recent debate about consequences of projects in PSOs. First, we argue that tensions in PSOs can be theorised as competition between co-existing institutional logics and understood in light of strategic owner capabilities. Further, we suggest that the perceived strength of tensions influences whether the project is interpreted as a matchmaker between different logics, or, at other times, as a troublemaker where the project team's interpretation of contextual complexity limits its ability to combine co-existing institutional logics.

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来源期刊

International Journal of Project Management MANAGEMENT-

CiteScore

12.30

自引率

26.20%

发文量

审稿时长

59 days

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Project Management is recognized as a premier publication in the field of project management and organization studies. Our main objective is to contribute to the advancement of project management and project organizing through the publication of groundbreaking research. We are dedicated to presenting fresh insights and new knowledge in various domains, including project management, program management, portfolio management, project-oriented organizations, project networks, and project-oriented societies. We actively encourage submissions that explore project management and organizing from the perspectives of organizational behavior, strategy, supply chain management, technology, change management, innovation, and sustainability. By publishing high-quality research articles and reviews, we strive to revolutionize the academic landscape and propel the field of project management forward. We invite researchers, scholars, and practitioners to contribute to our journal and be a part of the progressive development in this exciting field.