Organizational Routines, Situated Learning and Processes of Change in Project-Based Organizations

Abstract

Understanding and effecting change in project-based forms of organization is made difficult by the dispersed nature of management practices in such organizations and their effects upon the reinforcement of localized practices and routines that militate against the spread oforganization-wide change initiatives. Taking a perspective that is informed by the “situated” approach to knowledge and learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991), this paper focuses upon the role of organizational routines (Becker, 2004) in constraining or enabling the spread of new management practices within the firm. Drawing upon four case studies of change within UK construction firms, the paper examines the relationship between new and existing management practices and routines, focusing upon the effects of agency and managerial power and influence. Two key dimensions are revealed that influence the nature and extent of change: the extent to which new management initiatives interfere with existing project management practices; and the extent to which they disrupt the balance of power/knowledge within the organization. Implications for understanding and managing change in project-based organ-ization are drawn out and assessed.