The Megaproject-based firm: building programme management capability to deliver megaprojects

The rapid growth in demand for large-scale infrastructure around the world calls for a new type of organisation, which we label the Megaproject-based Firm (MBF). We conceptualise the MBF as a core permanent entity that delivers multiple megaprojects with partners in project networks, in several large temporary organisations crossing the boundaries of the firm. We use 78 interviews to identify how the learning within and between these megaprojects has enabled the firm to build programme management capabilities over time. Our results show that adaptability, flexibility, and the design of the roles and responsibilities between clients and delivery partners are critical ingredients of programme management. Megaprojects should be delivered through a collaborative relationship with clients, not for clients. The involvement in a series of megaprojects in parallel and sequentially offers a new type of project capability building challenge for firms, adding to the literature on project-based firms and project capabilities

What are the causes and cures of poor megaproject performance? A systematic literature review and research agenda

This systematic literature review explores the megaproject management literature and contributes by improving our understanding of the causes and cures of poor megaproject performance. The review analyzes 6,007 titles and abstracts and 86 full papers, identifying a total of 18 causes and 54 cures to address poor megaproject performance. We suggest five avenues for future research that should consider examining megaprojects as large-scale, inter-organizational production systems: (1) designing the system architecture; (2) bridging the gap with manufacturing; (3) building and leading collaborations; (4) engaging institutions and communities; and (5) decomposing and integrating the supply chain

[Abstract] Exogenous and endogenous capability development in PBEs: a resource orchestration perspective

This paper investigates an unexplored question of how project-based enterprises (PBEs) manage to build capabilities from scratch within a limited period of time for project delivery. This paper conducts a multi-case study of five PBEs that act as the leading organization in delivering five large-scale and complex projects in China, based on a combination of 103 semi-structured interviews and substantial documental data. The findings show that PBEs orchestrate resource to build their capabilities exogenously and endogenously through two underlying mechanisms – dynamic resource configuration and recursive learning cycle. Overviewing the overall capability building trajectory, PBEs’ role in resource orchestration transforms from “resource possessor” to “resource integrator” during exogenous process then to “capability iterator” during endogenous process. Dynamic capabilities are the essence of such organization evolution and capability building. This study thus extends and enriches the operations management (OM) literature on resource orchestration theory by providing new empirical insights on the operations strategy of developing capabilities in PBEs. This work highlights how two research areas of OM – resource orchestration and dynamic capabilities – are fruitfully combined to gain new insights into capability building.</p

The organisational architecture of megaprojects

This research explores the formation and evolution of the organisational architecture in megaprojects. We introduce the Project System Organisation (PSO) conceptual framework, which charts the architecture of megaproject organising, from intra- to inter-organisational design, and ultimately to system-level design. The PSO identifies the multiple and evolving actors across the multi-level and multi-layer megaproject system and defines four roles often used to label the client in megaprojects: owner, sponsor, client, and partner. Six megaprojects that currently represent a combined investment of more than £100 Bn have been analysed through 171 interviews in the United Kingdom: High Speed One, Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, London 2012 Olympics, Crossrail, Thames Tideway Tunnel, and High Speed Two. The PSO provides a structure to design megaproject delivery models and prototype the configuration of inter-organisational relationships. We suggest designing megaprojects as dynamic production systems, decomposing and integrating the organisational boundaries of the system in the evolving architecture

The dynamics of systems integration: balancing stability and change on London's Crossrail project

Systems integration is essential for the design and execution of large, complex projects, but relatively little is known about how this task develops over time during the life cycle of a project. This paper builds on the concept of “disciplined flexibility” to describe how systems integration can be conceived as a dynamic process of maintaining stability, while responding flexibly to changing conditions. We examine the dynamics of systems integration through a case-study of Crossrail, the construction of London's new urban railway system, which will be called the Elizabeth Line when it opens for service. The balancing act of stability and change manifests during critical periods of the project life cycle as various interdependent systems evolve with different degrees of maturity. We identify how various types of reciprocal interdependencies in complex projects such as Crossrail – at the system and system of systems levels – require ongoing monitoring and control, and the mutual adjustment of tasks