Organizing inter-firm project governance – a contextual model for empirical investigation
International Journal of Managing Projects in Business
ISSN: 1753-8378
Article publication date: 5 March 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The management of major inter-firm projects requires a coherent, holistic governance framework to be effective. However, most existing models of project governance are limited to a narrow selection of contractual, structural or procedural aspects, and further neglect contextual factors, such as key characteristics of a project and its partners. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This conceptual paper proposes an integrative analytical model of inter-firm project governance, building upon contingency theory and drawing from established constructs rooted in organization theory.
Findings
The paper aims to integrate two largely distinct streams of research and synthesize the respective constitutive dimensions of project governance into a coherent conceptual model. Further, interrelationships with contextual factors, such as project-related and partner-related characteristics, and project performance are discussed.
Originality/value
The proposed model purposefully merges two complementary streams of project governance research. As the model further provides clear contextual factors, it strengthens an emerging stream of project research by systematically examining external influences of project organizing. Future research may utilize this model and the suggested operationalization for each of the constructs as a basis to empirically investigate the design and effectiveness of governance regimes of major projects.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper was originally submitted to the “Strategic Interest Group: Project Organising, Special Topic: Managing Major and Mega Projects: Opening up for new Research Eras” at the EURAM Conference, Glasgow 2017.
Citation
von Danwitz, S. (2018), "Organizing inter-firm project governance – a contextual model for empirical investigation", International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 144-157. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-07-2017-0072
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited