Confronting information dilemma: How does collective mindfulness foster team improvisation in megaprojects

Improvisation is increasingly recognized as an effective process to deal with unforeseen uncertainties in megaprojects. However, it is challenging for megaproject teams to enact improvisation that hinges on efficient real-time information processing, facing the harsh information dilemma. From an information processing perspective, this study investigates how two modes of collective mindfulness – mindful attention and mindful conceptualizing – affect team improvisation in megaprojects. Our questionnaire survey on 60 megaproject teams reveals that both mindfulness modes follow an inverted U-shaped relationship with improvisation. The moderating roles of project complexity and ambiguity are examined, showing that these factors flatten the curvilinear effects of mindful attention and conceptualizing on improvisation. Findings also suggest that a project manager’s heightened metacognitive belief in mindfulness shifts and flattens these relationships, allowing for greater team improvisation. Our findings contribute to new antecedents of improvisation and extend mindfulness research in projects, leading to better dealing with unforeseen uncertainties in megaprojects.