Projects as temporary organizations: An agenda for further theorizing the interorganizational dimension

• Published in: International journal of project management 2018-01, Vol.36 (1), p.4-11
• Main Authors: Sydow, Jörg, Braun, Timo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0263-7863; 1873-4634
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijproman.2017.04.012

Existing conceptualizations of projects as temporary organizations capture their interorganizational facets only implicitly. We present theoretical ideas on how to further conceptualize the interorganizational dimension in line with recent developments in the field of managing interorganizational relations. Towards this end, we will recapitulate the present state of theorizing projects as temporary organizations. Then we will highlight the increasing importance of what is called “interorganizational projects” (IOPs). After having described the phenomenon and spread of IOPs, we will discuss how the interorganizational dimension may be theorized. We conclude this article by introducing three facets of analyzing IOPs that help to advance the theory of the temporary organization – namely the multi-level perspective, the processual understanding of relationships, and modes of interorganizational governance. •Theories of projects as temporary organizations are compared with regard to conceptualizing the interorganizational dimension•Implications from research in the field of interorganizational relations for project management research are delineated•Research questions are derived and a future research agenda is developed