This book is about projectification – a concept that captures the increasing reliance on “the project” in contemporary societies, governance and economies. Despite its significance, this development and transformation, not only of public and private organizations but also our working environment and way of living, has received little scholarly attention compared to other major societal movements. Since its conceptualization in 1995 the phenomena of projectification has grown in scope, and researchers beyond management and organization studies have argued for and applied a broader and critical perspective to what projects are and how we are to understand the term. This volume gathers researchers who critically examine the function and effects of “the project”, and analyzes the logic, politics, discursive practices and contexts of projectification. The book consolidates this research field by illustrating theoretical perspectives on, and empirical implications of, projectification. It also highlights the need for more research, and provides encouragements for other disciplines to scrutinize this phenomenon from other perspectives.
Author(s): Mats Fred, Sebastian Godenhjelm
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 243
City: London
Foreword
Preface and Acknowledgements
Contents
Notes on Contributors
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Introducing Projectification Research
Introduction
An Emerging Research Field
Making Sense of Projectification
Overview of the Collection
References
Chapter 2: The Philosophical History of Projectification: The Project Society
Aim of the Chapter
Practical Implications
What Is a Project?
Projectification
Example of a Field: The History of Dance
Discipline and Projects
The Spirit of Projects
The Project Society as the Post-Disciplinary Society
Facilitating Transdisciplinary Activities: Architecture and Education
The Revolt and the New Conditions for Project People: Single Life, Exploitation, and Passage Angst
Pace of Reorganisation and Project Structure: Engagements, Appointments, Football, Warfare, and Leadership by the ‘Yes’
The Pathologies of the Project Society
Conclusion and Practical Implications
Further Reading
References
Chapter 3: The Trojan Horse of Local Government
Institutional Logics and the Organisational Practices of Swedish Local Government
Local Government Institutional Logics: The Case of Sweden
How Do We Study Trojan Horses?
The Trojan Horse in Practice
Prerequisites for Projectification
Transformation and Adaptation
Projectification as Organisational Capacity-Building
Latent Consequences of Projectification
Further Reading
References
Chapter 4: Entering the World of Project Making: Mobilizing Assemblage Thinking to Unpack Projects as Political Constructions
Introduction: Entering the World of Project Making
Assemblage Thinking as a Theoretical Toolbox
Studying Projectification Through Assemblage Thinking: The Case of Swedish Development Aid
Translating Assemblage Thinking into a Workable Methodology: Following the Project Bureaucracy Across Sites
The Work of Holding the Project Cycle Together
Constructing and Maintaining Cooperation
Activating Repertoires of Expertise
Creating Markets
Organizing Temporality
Concluding Discussion
Further Reading
References
Chapter 5: What Makes It Tick? On the Projectification of the Labour Market in Sweden
Introduction
On Translation: Theoretical and Methodological Underpinnings
The Prisoners and the Food
Multi-Sited Ethnography: Mapping and Translation
Following the Projects
Framing
Calculation
Arrangements of Visibility
Summary
Conclusion
Further Reading
References
Informants
Chapter 6: The Janus Face of Participatory Projects
Introduction
Participatory Governance and Public Sector Projectification
Participatory Governance
Projectification
Participatory Projects
Methods and Data
Citizen Channel, a Participatory Project
Citizens and Civil Society Actors in Citizen Channel
The Understanding and Framing of Participation
The Effectiveness and Long-Term Impact of the Project
Discussion and Conclusion
Further Reading
References
Chapter 7: HRM and Projectification: Moving Beyond the ‘Project-Based Organization’ Concept
Introduction
HRM and Projects: A Brief Overview
The Deceptive Idea of ‘Project-Based Organizations’ as a Single Form
Articulating Traits Driven by Projectification and Game Changers for HRM
Temporariness
Cross-Functionality
Blended Workforce
Concluding Discussion
Further Reading
References
Chapter 8: The Road to Isolation of Public Health Policy Projects: Consequences of Demarcating the Project by Its Task, Time, Team and Transition
Introduction
The Challenge of Balancing Between Isolation and Interaction in Public Health Projects
Why the Boundaries Constituting a Project Can Lead to Demarcation and Thus Isolation of Public Health Projects
Presentation of the Study of a Public Health Intervention Conducted in Two Primary Schools
Expressions and Explanations of the Difficulties in Integrating Public Health Projects into Permanent Organising
Task: The Isolation of the Project’s Task Strengthens the Top-Down Perspective
Time: Limited Project Time and Different Time Frames Pose Challenges for the Interactions Between Temporary and Permanent Organising
Team: Focusing on Relational Processes and Including Actors Outside the Project Team Is Important to Carry Project Intentions Forward
Transition: The Project Actors Need to Be Able to Interpret the Consequences of the Wider Social Context
Conclusions
Further Reading
References
Chapter 9: Interfaces in Project-Based Innovation Governance: Can Hackathons Hack into Policy Processes?
Introduction
Digital Optimism in Project-Based Innovation Systems
Interfaces Between Projects and Permanent Organizations
A Case Study of a Carbon and Biodiversity Offsetting Project in Estonia
Challenges of Dynamic Proximity
Hackathons and Accelerators as Legitimation Mechanisms
Limited Flexibility of Knowledge Implementation
Discussion and Conclusion
Further Reading
References
Chapter 10: Stepping on the Throttle While Hitting the Brakes: Project Organisations and Governance
Introduction
Project Organisations and Governance from a Theoretical Perspective
Linking Projects with Public Administration and New Public Management Discourses
Understanding Projects Through Theories of Governance
Project Management Ideals and the Governance of Projects
Benefits and Challenges Related to Temporary Governance Mechanisms in a Public-Sector Context
How Can the Added Value Created by Projects Be Measured?
Can Long-Term Outcomes Be Achieved Through Temporary Outputs?
Do Collaborative Project Procedures Lead to Innovative Results?
Concluding Discussion
Further Reading
References
Chapter 11: Projects as Vessels for Institutional Change: From Appealing Promises to Some Pressing Concerns
Introduction
A Tale of Two Projectified Governance Arrangements
Institutional Change in Projectified Governance
Attaining Institutional Change in Projectified Governance?
Mechanistic Projectified Governance
Organic Projectified Governance
Concluding Discussion: Some Pressing Concerns
Further Reading
References
Chapter 12: Explaining Project-Based Policy Implementation: Multiple Governance Framework and Causal Mechanisms
Introduction
The Effects of Project Organization
The Causal Mechanism in Critical Realism
The Multiple Governance Framework
Governance Mechanisms of Project-Based Policy Implementation
Collaborative Governance Theory and Project Application
Metagovernance Theory and Project Application
Interactive Governance Theory and Project Application
Practical Research Examples
Concluding Remarks
Further Reading
References
Chapter 13: Where Do We Go from Here?
Introduction
The State of a Continuously Emerging Research Field
The Future Need for Projectification Research
References
Index
