The maintenance of railway infrastructure has in several instances been changed from government-based to being based on public procurement, with varying degrees of flexibility for the contractor to design their maintenance work. The purpose of-giving contractors a larger freedom of choice of how to perform maintenance is to stimulate them to innovate and develop their maintenance processes. Since the contracts differ in between and there are changes in government policies over time that affects both existing and new contracts, a comparison between different contracts becomes challenging. A literature review has been conducted to understand the change in procurement strategy and how to encourage contractors to innovate. The research questions include: What procurement strategies are there? How is maintenance evaluated? How does procurement affect the innovation opportunities for entrepreneurs? The literature review focuses on railway maintenance and contract design between client and contractor. In total, 17 articles matched the search criteria and were selected for the review. To have successful maintenance service, five articles suggested partnering as a strategy with common goals in combination with good communication during the entirety of the contract. When selecting incentive plan, four articles mentions that a focus on performance-based incentives in combination with risk management is better rather than actual payment schemes. The reason being that payment is often the main cause of conflicts between client and contractor. The scientific literature suggests that improvement in incentives improves quality of maintenance, decreases delays and technical failures. The conclusion from the literature review is that partnering in railway maintenance is considered successful. With accurate knowledge about railway assets the incentive plan becomes accurate which reduces costs. The literature review is a part of a research project with an overall goal to develop a model to guide the selection of appropriate type of procurement strategy, contract and control of maintenance for a more sustainable railway system.

As a consequence of ongoing urbanisation, construction projects are likely to be performed in multi-project contexts. Zooming out from the single project and focusing on the context in which construction projects are performed is suggested as a way to broaden our understanding and develop new theory. The empirical case in focus here, which is studied as a project ecology, is the development of a major urban development district, where several interdependent construction projects have been initiated in sequence and in parallel in a limited geographical area. This case poses several challenges to the developers (construction clients) who are performing their projects simultaneously, and literally, as neighbours. Therefore, we zoom out from the single construction project and put the project in a wider context on a macro level, to increase the understanding of the context in which construction projects are performed. The theoretical lens of social capital helps us zoom in on the interdependencies that develop over time, going beyond traditional, contractual and vertical relationships. Based on empirical material, including interviews and meeting observations, the findings indicate that the developers have to coordinate horizontal interdependencies between projects. The findings also show that the construction client’s role has been extended from initiating and delivering the project mission to also having a collaborator role between projects, where ambidexterity is required.

Purpose: – Previous research on clients’ procurement typically focuses on their procurement strategies. Research on local sustainability governance has, however, revealed that municipalities also govern construction projects through land allocations. This paper aims to explore how housing developers are governed by municipal land allocations and the implications. The purpose is to problematize the governance of sustainability during the early phases of construction projects.

Design/Methodology/Approach: – A case study on an urban development project in Sweden was conducted. Empirical material consists of interviews with housing developers’ project managers, observations from seminars and meetings between the developers and municipality officials and the municipality’s policy for land allocations and sustainability program. This was analyzed using Bulkeley and Kern’s (2006) typology of modes of governing change at the local level as a framework.

Findings: – The results provide examples where the municipality governs the housing developers by authority, enabling and provision. The implications for the housing developers during the early phases of their construction projects are explored.

Research limitations/implications: – Findings have implications for research on clients’ procurement strategies because it illustrates how they can be governed during the early phases of certain construction projects, which might limit their flexibility during procurement. However, the study is only based on housing projects in one urban development project governed by one municipality.

Practical implications: – Findings provide support for clients when designing their procurement strategies.

Originality/value: – This paper contributes to the understanding of how sustainability is governed in construction projects and the implications for housing developers’ flexibility.

Municipalities in Sweden govern construction projects on municipal land through requirements that sometimes go beyond national building regulations in order to advance sustainable building practices. The purpose of this paper is to explore the process of negotiating such project specific requirements for construction projects built by private housing developers on municipal land. The paper builds on a case study of an innovative urban development programme in Stockholm where interviews with private housing developers and municipal representatives and observations of meetings, seminars and forums were conducted. Emerging negotiations between the municipality and private housing developers over project specific requirements set by the municipality were explored and analysed using the concepts of product and process innovation. Findings reveal that housing developers try to remove or change those requirements that are considered to increase costs, increase risks and decrease the value of their final product. This paper illustrates how project requirements for construction projects on municipal land are dependent upon early phase negotiations between the municipality and housing developer.

As a result of local governance, municipalities and housing developers work together to define housing development projects and to co-create value propositions. The purpose of this study is to explore how value propositions are co-created during the front-end of housing development projects and how this affects housing developers’ ability to drive change and innovation. The value co-creation process is explored through interviews, documents and observations in a case study of an urban development programme in Sweden. The findings illustrate how emerging conflicts and the process of resolving them are central drivers for value co-creation between these actors. However, conflicts that are not managed and resolved constructively can lead to the co-destruction of value. In this study we illustrate how value co-creation processes that precede procurement limit the flexibility of housing developers and determine the scope for value that can be realised.

As a part of supply chain management (SCM) initiatives to improve performance and productivity in construction projects, the use of construction logistics setups (CLSs) operated by third-party logistics (TPL) providers have increased. CLSs are often used in complex multi-project contexts, such as urban development districts, where extensive coordination of actors, resources, and activities is needed. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to investigate how main contractors engage in horizontal relationships with each other when coordinating activities and resources within and across projects in a multi-project context, and to investigate what role a TPL provider assumes when engaging in relationships with main contractors in a multi-project context. The findings are based on a case study of an urban development district with a mandatory TPL-operated CLS, and we apply the industrial network approach. In this multi-project context, the main contractors engage in coopetitive relationships, coordinating activities and resources within and across projects. The TPL provider coordinates actors, resources, and activities, facilitating smoother production by managing logistics and mediating coopetitive relationships. This can be understood as a multi-project coordination role and extends the role SCM can play in construction. In that role, a TPL provider can minimise tensions between coopetitive actors across a multitude of horizontal relationships and projects.

As a measure to increase performance, improve safety and reduce environmental impact, the use of third-party logistics (TPL) solutions has increased in the construction industry. Other measures are inter-organizational collaborative methods and agreements between different actors. The purpose of this study is to explore how a TPL solution can affect inter-organizational relationships, specifically in the horizontal dimension. Findings are based on a case study of an urban development project with a TPL solution mandatory to use for all construction actors working side by side in parallel and sequential stages. The analysis is based on the industrial network approach, using the ARA-model for identifying and analyzing inter-organizational interactions among main contractors. The findings indicate that the contractors do collaborate with each other on both technical and organizational resources, as well as coordinate activities between each other, and that the TPL solution has a vital role in bringing them together and improves collaboration. This nuance the predominant view of the construction industry as being characterized by adversarial relationships and lack of inter-organizational collaboration. It also extends the knowledge of what a TPL solution can contribute with besides improved logistics.

Many studies have emphasized the importance of engineering services and their adaptability to reduce carbon emissions in the construction sector. As public clients procure these services, selecting efficient (procurement-related) control modes is critical. However, studies of control modes and their effect on adaptability are scarce. The purpose of this study is to investigate how, through the choice of control modes, a public client may create incentives for service providers to deliver carbon reduction solutions in the construction phase. In this study, a procurement model and a classification model are developed, and a single case study of an engineering service contract aiming for carbon reduction is used to illustrate the models. The empirical data include 16 interviews with respondents from the 2 contract parties, i.e., the client and service provider. The findings show that it is important to create incentives for adaptability when procuring engineering services with the aim of reducing carbon emissions in the construction phase. The findings also highlight the importance of these incentives being created both in relation to the selection of service providers and to the responsibility between the contract parties. The models developed in the study may serve as important tools for both practitioners and researchers. 

Prior research has emphasized the importance of the early phases in construction projects. However, procuring engineering services for early phases is considered complex due to the high uncertainties and the information asymmetry favouring the service provider. This study explores public procurement of engineering services in the Swedish infrastructure sector, focusing on governance and control mechanisms. The purpose is to investigate the choice of governance and control mechanisms in engineering contracts from two perspectives, the public client's and the service providers. The findings are based on interviews with managers from the Swedish Transport Administration as well as from different engineering consulting companies. Findings indicate that the respondents from both sides seem to describe other choices and combinations of reward system and performance evaluation, compared to previous studies. This could be explained by the fact that the engineering contracts are less formalized than construction contracts in Sweden. This study shows that there are situations when clients have an information advantage in relation to their service suppliers and in-depth knowledge of the tasks procured, which affects the development of procurement strategies.

Prior research has emphasised the importance of the early phases of construction projects, as well as the difficulties of procuring engineering services – especially due to the uncertainties. Despite that, studies on the public procurement of engineering services are scarce. Although scholars have shown that uncertainty may affect the choice of control modes, the level of uncertainty that characterises services is not addressed by the two task characteristics: knowledge of the transformation process and output measurability. The purpose is to investigate organisational control in public procurement of engineering services.

Project management roles and functions, which are standardized and clearly defined in literature, vary in practice. This study explores project management roles and functions in collaborative construction project practice. The findings, which are based on a longitudinal case study of a collaborative construction project, reports that several project management roles emerged during the project process, for example collaboration manager, BIM-manager and cooperation manager. The findings also report associated risks with the emergence of new management roles, for example information overload and misunderstanding. These new managerial roles served both as boundary spanners when creating and maintaining relationships between stakeholders, and as innovators when challenging the traditional and ingrained adversarial construction project practice. The findings contribute to the growing literature on collaborative approaches in construction and to the discussion on the transformation of project management roles and functions.

Our purpose is to explore the concept of “sustainability” when understood from a performative perspective, i.e. as a concept that is filled with meaning across time. Drawing on a 10 year-long study of the digital footprint of Stockholm Royal Seaport, claimed to be northern Europe's largest sustainable urban development district, we show that “sustainability” emerged as the project became associated with particular places, projects, histories, and technologies. This means that “sustainability” was local in that it was situated in the particular spatial context of the project; temporal in that it was situated in a particular time; and political in that it expressed particular values and perspectives. The study contributes to explaining why “sustainability” remains—and always will remain—a contested concept, which is why sustainability transitions are complex. Consequently, we suggest that the transition towards sustainability always involves the transition of sustainability, something that needs to be acknowledged in order for a transition to actually become sustainable. 

Building on a brief illustration, this article discusses the need for new empirical fields and methods in project management research. This would not only provide novel insights into project practices and management, but would also entail questioning the hegemony (Gramsci, 1988) of project management and project research. We argue that the hegemony is upheld by, or perhaps even constructed through, the language and the ideal images of the area, developed by project researchers and used by project practitioners; adding to what could be called 'the social power' (Bourdieu, 1991) of those involved in what are called 'projects' and 'project management'. It is also argued that the social power of those familiar with 'projects' and 'project management' is sustained by the silence of all those involved in similar practices, but who do not master the terminology of project work.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the theory development of “temporary organizing.” Design/methodology/approach – The paper advances the theory of the temporary organization by applying a process ontological-perspective.

Findings – This research note conceptualizes “the temporary organization” as constantly changing across time and space; as shifting between two empirically driven modes: “goal seeking” and “goal oriented.” This is done through the shift of the trajectory of the particular “project” at hand. Practical implications – Based on the theoretical suggestions in the paper, further research is encouraged to find empirical support of and to develop its claims.

Originality/value – Despite a call for taking the “organizing”-aspect of temporary organizations seriously, there is still a need for theory development of the area. By introducing the concept of “trajectories” into the studies of temporary organizations, the paper builds a theoretical framework through which such studies may be undertaken.

Drawing on the true story of the actions of a middle manager in a major industrial company after the unexpected death of one of his employees, while participating in one of the most important social rituals to humans and society - the creation of meaning of death - we take an analytical approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR). This is done by discussing the overlap between CSR and human resource management (HRM). The story induces us to question the upholding of CSR an HRM as separate theoretical fields, since the managerial practice seems to indicate that these have merged into one. Also, the story indicates that the borders between the 'private' and 'public' roles in managerial practice are blurred and that to be a middle manager today is quite complicated. The article finishes with a discussion on why the writing of policies may not be the answer to this problem.

Urbanization and climate change are central challenges for urban development today, why a need for substantial innovation, e.g. systemic innovation, can be identified. The large amount of interdependent actors and their fragmented processes are among the key factors that hamper innovation in the construction industry. Two key actors in the industry, property developers and contractors, can be identified as important when developing innovation, due to their central roles in the construction project process. Therefore, it should be important to make them dedicated towards innovation, i.e. create motivation. This is in line with research on successful innovation development highlighting the importance of commitment and collaboration. A need seems to be present to create motivation towards innovation for key actors in the industry. Based on this, the purpose of this paper is to explore how motivation of key actors can influence development for systemic innovation in the construction industry. To explore this, a case study of the urban development project Stockholm Royal Seaport and its developed building logistic center was analyzed, adopting a model for receptive change context. Tentative findings suggest that actors' motivation for innovation is important for the development. Developers' possibility to influence through procurement strategies, to increase awareness and collaboration, can be used to create motivation for contractors.

Purpose Innovation is constantly present in the construction industry, however, mainly on a single project level. Initiating and implementing inter-organizational innovation in a multi-project context such as in urban development entails large complexity, for example, because of the many interdependent projects and users of innovation. The users' influence on inter-organizational innovation in a multi-project context has not been fully explored. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to discuss how users influence inter-organizational innovation in multi-project contexts by mapping the receptiveness for change. Design/methodology/approach A single case study approach was used, where empirical material including semi-structured interviews in combination with meeting observations, document studies and participative workshops were gathered. The rich empirical material, studying inter-organizational innovation in an urban development context, was mapped based on the receptive context for change framework. Findings A receptive context for change was not present in the studied multi-project context. Communication to develop and implement inter-organizational innovation was not sufficient and the clients' procurement strategies were to a large extent not developed to facilitate inter-organizational innovation. Findings show differences in users' possibility and aim to implement inter-organizational innovation. Originality/value The mapping of the receptive context to influence inter-organizational innovation widens the knowledge base and provides valuable insights on how inter-organizational innovation may be implemented in the loosely coupled construction industry. Furthermore, the findings broaden the discussion on clients as innovation supporters, and contribute to the debate on clients as innovation supporters, by highlighting the importance of distinguishing between different types of clients.

Purpose: Innovation is constantly present in the construction industry, however, mainly on a single project level. Initiating and implementing inter-organizational innovation in a multi-project context such as in urban development entails large complexity, for example due to the many interdependent projects and users of innovation. The users’ influence on inter-organizational innovation in a multi-project context has not been fully explored. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to discuss how users influence inter-organizational innovation in multi-project contexts by mapping the receptiveness for change.

Design/methodology/approach: A single case study approach was used, where empirical material including semi-structured interviews in combination with meeting observations, document studies and participative workshops. The empirical material, studying inter-organizational innovation in an urban development context, was mapped based on the receptive context for change framework.

Findings: A receptive context for change was not present in the studied multi-project context. Communication to develop and implement inter-organizational innovation was not sufficient and the clients’ procurement strategies were to a large extent not developed to facilitate inter-organizational innovation. Findings suggest differences in users’ possibility and aim to implement inter-organizational innovation.

Originality/value: The mapping of the receptive context to influence inter-organizational innovation widens the knowledge base on how inter-organizational innovation may be implemented in the loosely coupled construction industry. Furthermore, the paper adds knowledge to the discussion on clients as innovation supporters, by highlighting the importance of distinguishing between different types of clients.

Project management literature have focused on either intra-organisational relationships or on vertical inter-organisational relationships. The purpose of this paper is to explore inter-project interdependencies and coordinating in multi-project contexts by using the notion of project ecologies. We adopt an organisational routines perspective to explore the coordinating practices managing those interdependencies. The empirical material underpinning our findings were collected and analysed through a case study of an urban development district, new to both the project ecology literature and the organisational routines literature. The findings highlight the existence and importance of horizontal interdependencies in project ecologies, as compared to the more commonly studied interdependencies in vertical relationships within and between projects. The need for horizontal coordinating is outside project managers’ regular focus on steering vertical relationships. Accordingly, the routines to manage the horizontal interdependencies in project ecologies are different to those in more engineered routines that are often described in project management guidelines.

Construction projects are increasingly performed in inter-organizational multi-project contexts. Research on innovation in inter-organizational projects has often focused on contractual relationships, for example the vertical and adversarial relationship between client (here called developer) and contractor, or on integrating vertical supply chain relationships. There are, however, other inter-organizational relationships to consider that affect innovation. One example is major urban development initiatives, and other multi-project contexts, where several interdependent construction projects are planned and executed in sequence and parallel in a limited geographical area. This poses challenges on horizontal interdependent actors, between developers that perform their projects simultaneously and, literally, as neighbours. Therefore, the focus of this paper is on horizontal interdependencies in innovative multi-project contexts, specifically between different developers. The horizontal interdependencies are explored through theory on social capital. This focus includes historical and informal relations which develop over time, going beyond the traditional contractual, economical and vertical relationships. Based on empirical data from a longitudinal study of an urban development project including interviews with developers' representatives and observations from meetings, findings indicate that the developers have to collaborate over structures, contracts, logistics and timeframes. Findings also show that developers' collaboration largely depends on their own initiatives over time to create spaces for collaboration.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to situate project portfolio management practice and explore its improvisational nature. The overall aim is to deepen the knowledge of what project portfolio managers do when they manage portfolios based on an organizational theory perspective.Design/methodology/approach – This research explores the situated actions of project portfolio managers managing project portfolios and is based on two different case studies. The approach is qualitative and interpretative, with the aim of gradually developing an understanding.Findings – The primary contributions in this paper are insights that enhance the understanding of project portfolio management practice, and the differences in practice between portfolio managers and project managers when creating “action space” and improvising. This knowledge is important for both project theory and project practice, for example when developing managerial competences and sense making structures as well as organizational design in order to increase competitiveness. The findings also contribute to project theory in relation to research on the “Practice Turn” and the literature on re‐situating projects.Research limitations/implications – The research implications emphasize the need for a better understanding of project portfolio management in practice, and an awareness of the need of uncertainty management executed by the portfolio managers situated actions (i.e. fulfilled by walk‐tour and circle communication).Practical implications – The practical implications are an awareness of the fact that project‐based organizational settings have to emphasize a holistic approach and acknowledge the need for situated leadership (in particular for their project portfolio managers).Originality/value – This paper fulfills an identified need to study situated project portfolio management practice.

Communication is dynamic, social, challenging, and a key quality factor for construction projects. This is especially the case in multinational and inter-organizational infrastructure projects where factors like culture and language differ among the involved actors. As infrastructure projects usually extend over longer periods of time, collaborative relationships need to be established in which the actors can develop, for example, mutual understanding, learning, and efficient working routines. By building on empirical data from contemporary infrastructure projects, we explore how international contractors and a large public client communicate in multinational infrastructure projects (i.e., what the challenges are and what competences are needed). The analysis is based on the linguistic framework of communicative competence, and we contribute to the development of collaborative models in construction project management by suggesting the concept of contextual communicative competence. View Full-Text

Construction project performance is dependent on efficient collaboration and the ability to overcome traditional rigid boundaries between organizations, professions and process stages. This paper is based on an exploratory case study of a contemporary collaborative construction project during both design and production and reports findings on boundary spanning and boundary spanners. The findings propose a typology of boundary spanning in collaborative construction projects: geographical boundary spanning, professional boundary spanning and stakeholder boundary spanning. The findings also report a comprehensive list of boundary spanning roles of importance for boundary spanning to take place. The paper also present directions for further research on management of collaboration in construction projects.

Industries have to adapt to changes in external environment. This adaption includes the development of new professional roles that challenge established structures, roles and communities of practice. In order to better understand the unfolding of construction project practice in an increasingly changeful world new professional roles are explored as liminal roles. The studied professional roles are partnering manager, building logistic specialist and BIM coordinator. Liminality is used as framework to understand descriptions of liminal experiences when negotiating boundary interfaces in construction project practice. Findings are both theoretical and practical and suggest that new professional roles practice multi-liminal work and acknowledge tensions that pose challenges for liminal roles to act as change agents.

Project management handbooks and courses teach structured and standardized ways of organizing and managing projects, including clearly defined project roles. However, projects are no isolated islands and projects in practice continuously develop and change. This is the case in, for example, the project based construction industry, and in which new inter organizational and collaborative work practices have become increasingly common. This paper is based on two case studies and explores developments and changes in construction project practice, in particular the development of new roles. The concept of liminality is used as analytical lens to better understand these new roles. Findings show new and challenging multi liminal roles that origin from other knowledge domains and professional communities of practice, than what is traditional in construction project management. This development poses both opportunities and challenges for the individual project worker and the development of construction industry practices.

While project work can be motivating, stimulating and creative, it can also be frustrating, ambiguous and stressful. Situations of project overload, i.e. situations in which fragmentation, disturbances and disruptions are reoccurring, are common in project-based organizations running many parallel projects. This paper reports findings from an extensive interview study on how project managers and project members working in parallel projects handle project overload by changing their work routines. The results show 1) that project work in practice is organized by using narrowing strategies and 2) that narrowing strategies run the risk of excluding the vital historical and organizational context. The findings have implications for project theory and project practice.

Purpose – Traditional construction project practice has been based on rigid and impermeable boundaries that have made communication, cooperation and integration a major challenge. However, new collaborative approaches have been developed. This paper aims at adding to knowledge on projects‐as‐practice by interpreting findings from a case study on a contemporary collaborative construction project. The purpose of this paper is to provide knowledge about organizational development in the project‐based construction industry by identifying boundary actions in contemporary collaborative construction practices.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on an exploratory longitudinal case study approach covering both early design phase and the following production phase, including interviews, participant observation at formal meetings and informal gatherings and internal and external documents. Thus, the methodology used is triangulation and the analysis has followed an interpretative process.Findings – The paper provides empirical insights into three examples of boundary actions of a collaborative construction project: stakeholder boundary action, professional boundary action and geographical boundary action. From a project‐as‐practice perspective, these boundary actions turn out to be interesting renewal initiatives, providing increased understanding of where and how renewal can take place.Research limitations/implications – The findings are based on a single case study and more research on this area is needed. However, the paper shows examples of boundary actions in a contemporary project and thus adds to the knowledge on contemporary projects‐as‐practice.Practical implications – The paper provides implications for construction project managers on examples of renewal arenas.Originality/value – The paper is exploratory and the findings are important for much needed development and renewal of the construction industry.