Papers by Anne Live Vaagaasar
Inter-organizational networks are frequently used to execute large and megaprojects. This study d... more Inter-organizational networks are frequently used to execute large and megaprojects. This study develops a theoretical framework for the governance of these networks. Twenty-eight case studies, each representing a network for a project, were assessed using 124 interviews in ten countries. A three-layer governance model is derived from the analysis. At the lowest layer (network governance) is the individual network of organizations collaborating in a project. This layer is explained through Multi-level Governance Theory. The intermediate layer (governance of networks) addresses the steering of the different networks these organizations are part of, such as for training, certification, safety etc.. At the top layer (metagovernance) are the ground-rules, set by governments or other investors to regulate how the two other layers are allowed to set up their governance. The study’s resulting theory combines three so far separate levels of governance into an overall understanding of large ...
2009 42nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2009
This paper works with dynamic project stakeholder management. More specifically it works with the... more This paper works with dynamic project stakeholder management. More specifically it works with the competence development related to stakeholder management. Based on an in-depth study of a highly complex technology project, it contributes with a fine-grained analysis of why and how the competences to handle stakeholders evolve in the project team. It shows how the team developed the ability for
International Journal of Technology Management, 2021
This article presents a study of two projects focusing on the relationships of two Nordic clients... more This article presents a study of two projects focusing on the relationships of two Nordic clients with suppliers in low-cost countries. It explores the interplay between trust and control when offshoring information systems development projects. The key insight reveals that trust is not a substitute for control, no matter its level. The paper offers several contributions. First, we build a conceptual model for exploring the relationship between trust and control and the role of actual project performance. Second, the study reveals that trust supports a team's willingness to share knowledge, and control facilitates its ability to do so. Furthermore, our analysis shows that the impact of trust and control on project performance is better managed through the adjustment of project goals instead of adjusting the levels of trust and control. Finally, we contribute to theory through the development of a causal model of trust, control, actual performance, and project goals.
Acknowledgments Chapter 1 Introducing subject matter ............................................... more Acknowledgments Chapter 1 Introducing subject matter ......................................................1 1.1 Introducing the theme and background for the thesis...........................1 1.2 The relevance of this thesis .................................................................3 1.3 Enacting a research idea .......................................................................4 1.4 A few concepts ....................................................................................6 1.5 Outline of the thesis.............................................................................9 Chapter 2 Positioning the research in the project management field ....11 2.1 A historical sketch of the project management discourse .................12 2.2 Project management perspectives......................................................14 2.2.1 A traditional perspective on project management.......................15 2.2.2 An alternative perspective on project management ................
This paper works with dynamic project stakeholder management. More specifically it works with the... more This paper works with dynamic project stakeholder management. More specifically it works with the competence development related to stakeholder management. Based on an in-depth study of a highly complex technology project, it contributes with a finegrained analysis of why and how the competences to handle stakeholders evolve in the project team. It shows how the team developed the ability for dynamic interaction with each stakeholder over time and describes how the team was able to differentiate action patterns across relations over time. Additionally, the paper illuminates how the project and its stakeholders co-create one another, and how the development of relational competences enables the project to orchestrate actors and relations in a manner that makes the project more powerful than it was designed to be.
In this paper we describe the shifting knowledge logics of two work communities as these two comm... more In this paper we describe the shifting knowledge logics of two work communities as these two communities try to align with stakeholders in the development and implementation of two different projects. In both cases the display of senses becomes vital in order for the communities to appear as if they align with rationalistic and cognitive learning and sense-making. Observation of and narratives from the informants in the study show, however, how they make use of a wider range of senses. More specifically we describe how these communities use senses and emotions in communicating and further develop the knowledge creating processes, as they worked with story telling and collective reflection that incorporated elements of intuition and gut-feeling. In one of the cases this may represent an obstruction to learning and knowledge creation in practice, while in the other it seems to trigger learning and a shift towards sensing. In both cases we describe how the employees cope with the diffe...
Project Management Journal, 2020
We apply a situated temporal view to reveal the acute challenge actors face in making changes whe... more We apply a situated temporal view to reveal the acute challenge actors face in making changes when their project moves toward its final deadline. A situated temporal view takes account not just of the dwindling time left to change the future but also the lingering past, the combination of which poses particular challenges to organizers. We discuss aspects of temporary organizing that make such temporal shifts challenging: the complex interplay between temporal structures and practices, multiple temporal orientations, and deferred timing of temporal shifts. We suggest ideas for further research to apply a situated temporal view to temporary organizing.
Project Leadership and Society, 2021
Project Management Journal, 2021
A central issue in project-based organizations (PBOs) is how to balance the need for flexibly res... more A central issue in project-based organizations (PBOs) is how to balance the need for flexibly responding to changing customer demands and creating consistent performance in the organization at large. This article discusses the relevance of a routine dynamics lens for understanding this dilemma. We show how routine dynamics might help to understand how and under what conditions routines—with their dual capacity for stability and change—produce a variety of performances, some stable and some varying, in the PBO. As such, we contribute to the stream of research that seeks to explain how PBOs build capabilities and how they work.
Time, Temporality, and History in Process Organization Studies, 2020
This chapter explores how temporality shapes the creation and recreation of routines. Few have ex... more This chapter explores how temporality shapes the creation and recreation of routines. Few have explicitly addressed the role temporality plays and how it influences actors’ routine enactment. Based on a process study of a quality routine in a large construction company, the chapter demonstrates how routine patterning is a continuous flow between past, present, and future enactments of the routine. The following key insights are developed: (1) how orientation toward the past can create stability in routine patterning, (2) how temporal conflict in the present performance of the routine and the questioning of temporal assumptions trigger change in routine patterning, and (3) how the shaping of temporal structures can create temporal commons that balance the tensions inherent in temporality, thus allowing for routine patterning and an orientation toward the future. These insights can turn attention away from the time reckoning and sequential understanding inherent in much research on ro...
International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 2019
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how project managers, influence the assignmen... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how project managers, influence the assignment of project team members by directly assigning or specifying who they want or by indirectly using lateral influence strategies to secure the appropriate resources. This study is part of a wider study investigating the balance between vertical and horizontal leadership in projects in which nomination (or assignment) was identified as a key event contributing to balancing the leadership. It focuses specifically on the nomination or assignment event at the start of a project. Design/methodology/approach Based on the philosophy of critical realism, case studies were used to collect data through 70 semi-structured interviews in Australia, Scandinavia and South Africa. Interviews were conducted with senior managers, project managers and project team members. Two project team members who worked with the same project manager were interviewed to gather diverse views. The data were analyzed indiv...
Academy of Management Proceedings, 2019
Academy of Management Proceedings, 2019
International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 2019
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the triadic relationship between project work... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the triadic relationship between project workspace (i.e. spatial context), project type and project manager’s leadership style. It develops the concept of leadership construct (i.e. mental models of leadership to predispose the way leadership is performed) to explain related preferences for workspace and behaviors. Design/methodology/approach A combination of phenomenological inquiry on preferred workspaces in different project types is combined with a conceptual study on related leadership styles in these settings. Findings Four different leadership constructs are identified, which are conditioned by workspace and project type: one-on-one, virtual, interactive and mixed leadership. Also, four leadership patterns are identified, and these are related to open office and virtual office settings in product, service, software development and infrastructure construction projects. Research limitations/implications The results show the in...
International Journal of Project Management, 2018
Abstract Leadership in projects can shift between the project manager (a.k.a. vertical leadership... more Abstract Leadership in projects can shift between the project manager (a.k.a. vertical leadership) and one or more team members (a.k.a. horizontal leadership). Our study examines the processes, dimensions, and conditions for empowerment of project team members to temporarily assume leadership of project processes. Twenty interviews were conducted in 10 organizations in China. Results show that empowerment for horizontal leadership is a 3-stage process, wherein the project manager takes justification perception and demand factors as essential conditions for his/her empowerment orientation, which in turn frames the announcement, acceptance, control, autonomy and future of horizontal leaders. Four categories of horizontal leaders were revealed, namely Deputies, Future Stars, Bench Players and Oysters. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed.
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Papers by Anne Live Vaagaasar