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Puddicombe, M S (1998) Interorganizational project strategy: contracts, contacts, and performance in the building industry, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Graduate School of Management, Boston University.
- Type: Thesis
- Keywords: management theory; collaboration; contracts; learning; emergence; organizational economics; organizational structure
- ISBN/ISSN:
- URL: https://www.proquest.com/docview/304416354
- Abstract:
The incidence of organizations characterized by multi-firm collaboration and a project focus is increasing. These interorganizational project (IP) forms can be seen as one response to the turbulent and hypercompetitive environments in which many firms now exist. The emergence of these forms is particularly relevant in the operations arena where the use of an IP form introduces a host of concerns that operation's strategy research has not addressed. Operations strategy has conceived of the use of multiple firms and projects as options available when addressing traditional strategic decision areas. I proposed that these options represent a more fundamental choice. They position an organization in a typology of operational forms defined by dimensions of organizational domain and technology. IP forms occupy a quadrant of this typology, where existing strategy models find limited applicability. The dissertation proposed and tested a model of IP strategy informed by theories from traditional management theory, organizational economics, and new product development. The research design was a variation on an embedded multiple case design, with the number of cases (108) being much higher and the depth of analysis more focused than is the norm. It examined the antecedents and the outcomes of formal and informal interorganizational structures in order to identify the determinants of performance in an interorganizational project environment. The major findings occurred in three areas. (1) Behavioral and transaction uncertainties drive the choice of formal contractual structure. (2) The formal organizational structure is important early in the project, but it is supplanted by the informal structure that results from interpersonal learning. (3) The timing of interorganizational collaboration is important, with joint action during production being more effective for complex projects.