Call for papers
Special Issue on
"Projects and Networks"
Special Issue Editors
Robert DeFillippi, Strategy and International Business Department, Suffolk University, USA
Stephen Pryke, Centre for Organisational Network Analysis, University College London, UK
John Steen, Australian Institute of Business and Economics, University of Queensland, Australia
Jörg Sydow, Department of Management, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
Deadline for full paper submissions: 31 October 2016
Projects and Networks
Two basically different perspectives have brought projects and networks together. On the one hand, projects have been researched from a social network perspective, using social capital or structural holes or other network theories. On the other, as in project networks, the network notion is used to point to a very specific form of governance, using a wide range of organization theories. We welcome contributions from both strands, and integrative views.
· Projects from a Social Network Perspective
Organizing projects has fascinated observers and analysts since time began. But the project as an organizational form faces a range of ways of conceptualizing the nature of the project. Some have argued that the project is a system for managing information flows (Winch, 2002). Others have conceived the project as comprising a network of relationships which need to be managed (Pryke & Smyth, 2006). Few would deny that projects comprise systems and sub-systems which need managing and most specifically, integration. Project definition is followed by a resource identification and award process. The client acquires the means to deliver a project rather than the completed project, typically. The hierarchy of resources - designers, tier 1 and other tiers of the supply chain, once appointed by whatever means, then have to transition into a network of actors, each actor being charged with the delivery of a specific project function. All of these activities occur in an environment of changing client requirements and environmental constraints - a context of high uncertainty. Tiers 1 and their suppliers seek information and some measure of certainty; clients seek flexibility while they finally realize their needs and ambition and incorporate the most recent technology into their projects (Pryke, 2012). This complex and rich environment demands a fine grained method of analysis which goes beyond the hard tools and techniques of project management that have hitherto prevailed. Social or organizational network analysis not only provides a means to analyze project networks and develop theories of the flow of information and other resources through projects but also provides a theoretical lens on control and coordination. There is scope here to extend beyond network analysis and apply network theory (Borgatti and Halgin, 2011) to generate broader theories of project-based organisation.
· Projects from an Network Governance Perspective
Project networks as a specific form of governance are to be found in film and television production, in science-based industry such as biotech or optics, the event industry, and even in the construction industry, for instance. The study of these networks as a distinct archetype or organizational form, characterized by latent as well as activated ties with project entrepreneurs and/or organizations, not only supplements research on classical project-supported as well as truely project-based organizations (Lundin et al., 2015). Additionally, it addresses the tensions between the temporary and the permanent in a particular way. In its purest form, project networks embed projects as a form of temporary organization (Lundin & Söderlund, 1995) into longer-term, eventually even open-ended networks of relationships. More often than not, projects are tied to other forms of inter-organizational networks such as strategic alliances and networks, business ecosystems, regional clusters or global production networks (Sydow et al. 2016). In consequence, their analysis requires not only investigations of the particular modes of organizing but also a highly context-sensitive approach (DeFillippi, 2015).
The goal of the Special Issue is to assemble papers that focus on projects either from a network perspective or as a form of network governance and significantly advance our knowledge. Toward this end, all papers should be based on theoretically informed and empirically rigorous research using qualitative or quantitative designs and methods. Questions that might be addressed in the papers are:
- If we conceptualize the project as a network of role-holding actors, what are the features of these networks and how are they managed?
- Self-organizing interpersonal networks - how do they arise in and across projects?
- What are suitable methodologies for gathering network data in large and/or complex project environments?
- How do inter-organizational and interpersonal relationships interact in temporary organizations?
- How do network behavior and actor attributes interact in and across projects?
- How do project networks, usually considered a very flexible form of temporary organizing, become inert, even path-dependent?
- What are the specifics of partner selection and retention in project networks?
- How does institutional context influence the organizing of project networks?
- How do project networks coordinate their project work and what are the mechanisms that coordinate project design and project implementation?
- Which impacts do project networks as an organizational form have on the development of industries or regions?
The list of questions is not exhaustive. We welcome submissions that address questions beyond what we have listed as long as they contribute to a richer understanding of the projects as networks within the scope of this special issue.
Submissions
Full papers must be submitted by the October 31, 2016 via the journal submission site. Papers accepted for publication but not included in the special issue will be published later, in a regular issue of the journal.
If you have any additional questions please consult any of the following guest editors:
Robert DeFillippi, rdefillippi@suffolk.edu
Stephen Pryke, s.pryke@ucl.ac.uk
John Steen, j.steen@business.uq.edu.au
Jörg Sydow, joerg.sydow@fu-berlin.de
Author and Reviewer Guidelines
Special issues follow the same guidelines as for regular articles. However, we expect the authors and reviewers to react promptly with their revisions and reviews. A special issue is a project with scheduled deadline. While some variance may arise, still timeliness matters more than in a regular submission.
References
Borgatti, S.P., & Halgin, D.S. (2011). On network theory. Organization Science, 22(5): 1168-1181.
DeFillippi, R. (2015). Project based organizations in creative industries. In Jones, C., Lorenzen, M. & Sapsed, J. (Eds.). Handbook of Creative Industries. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 268-282.
Lundin, R., Arvidsson, N., Brady, T., Eksted, E., Midler, C., & Sydow, J. (2015). Managing and Working in Project Society – Institutional Challenges of Temporary Organizations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lundin, R., & Söderholm, A. (1995). A theory of temporary organization. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 11 (4): 437-455.
Pryke, S.D. (2012). Social Network Analysis in Construction. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.
Pryke, S.D., & Smyth, H.S. (Eds.) (2006). The Management of Complex Projects: A Relationship Approach. Oxford: Blackwell.
Sydow, J., Schüßler, E., & Müller-Seitz, G. (2016). Managing Interorganizational Relations – Debates and Cases. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Winch, G.M. (2002). Managing the Construction Project. Oxford: Blackwell.