Enacting project resilience: Insights from Uruguayan air force flight 571′s crash in the Andes

IF 7.5 1区管理学 Q1 MANAGEMENT

International Journal of Project Management Pub Date : 2025-01-01 DOI:10.1016/j.ijproman.2025.102677

Kijan Vakilzadeh , Sebastian Raetze

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Abstract

In this qualitative study, we examine how project members organize for resilience amid adversity by analyzing the case of the 1972 crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571. The survivors endured 72 days in the Andes, navigating uncertainty, time pressures, interpersonal conflict, and intense emotions—challenges similar to those in modern project organizations. Using insights from the survivors' (auto-)biographies, we conclude that resilience emerges through members' daily social interactions. Our findings reveal three key elements of project resilience: (1) processing contextuality, where sensebreaking and adaptive sensemaking evolve as adversity unfolds; (2) processing communality, which forms a socio-emotional foundation for resilience; and (3) shifting between different modes of emergent responding, by which project organizations harness the stability of structured responses while retaining the flexibility to adapt under pressure. This study highlights the dynamic processes through which project resilience is cultivated, offering insights for managing resilience in high-stakes environments.

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制定项目弹性：从乌拉圭空军571航班在安第斯山脉坠毁的见解

在这个定性研究中，我们通过分析1972年乌拉圭空军571航班坠毁的案例，研究了项目成员如何在逆境中组织弹性。幸存者们在安第斯山脉度过了72天，克服了不确定性、时间压力、人际冲突和强烈的情绪——这些挑战与现代项目组织中的挑战相似。根据幸存者（自我）传记的见解，我们得出结论，复原力是通过成员的日常社会互动产生的。我们的研究结果揭示了项目弹性的三个关键要素：(1)处理情境性，其中意义断裂和适应性意义构建随着逆境的展开而演变；(2)加工共同体，形成心理弹性的社会情感基础；(3)在不同的应急响应模式之间转换，项目组织利用结构化响应的稳定性，同时保持在压力下适应的灵活性。这项研究强调了培养项目弹性的动态过程，为在高风险环境中管理弹性提供了见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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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.