Temporary Inter-organizational Projects: How Temporal and Social Embeddedness Enhance Coordination and Manage Uncertainty

Candace Jones*, Benyamin B. Lichtenstein

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract / Description of output

Inter-organizational projects (IOPs), in which multiple organizations work jointly on a shared activity for a limited period of time, are increasingly used to coordinate complex products/services in uncertain and competitive environments. For some time, project management researchers have examined the structures and processes within intra-organizational projects that lead to their success, and recently some outlines of a 'theory' of organizational projects have been offered. This article begins by defining IOPs. It then describes how temporal embeddedness and social embeddedness provide specific mechanisms for managing uncertainty associated with these projects, and facilitating collaboration amongst project actors. Next, it illustrates the insights by combining these two dimensions and exploring them across four contexts within which IOPs are the dominant form of coordination among organizations, including film, architecture, crisis response, and large-scale engineering infrastructure. Finally, it offers suggestions for future research and conclusions.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Oxford Handbook of Inter-Organizational Relations
PublisherOxford University Press
ISBN (Electronic)9780191577277
ISBN (Print)9780199282944
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Sept 2009

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • Architecture
  • Crisis response
  • Film
  • Inter-organizational projects
  • Intra-organizational projects
  • Large-scale engineering infrastructure

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