A (meta)governance framework for multi-level governance of inter-organizational project networks

Abstract

Little is known about the governance of inter-organizational networks for projects. This study empirically develops a theoretical framework for this, using 28 project networks as case studies, applying 124 interviews in ten countries. The abductively developed three-layered governance framework has the individual network for a project at its lowest layer, explained through Multi-level Governance Theory. This is steered by a middle layer for the governance of networks, addressing the steering of the different networks these organizations are part of. At the top is metagovernance, where the ground rules are set by governments or investors. For each layer, the governance dimensions, as well as the enablers and disablers between layers, are defined. The study’s resulting theory provides an overall understanding of the governance of multiple networks for projects and provides practitioners with the parameters to optimize their networks for better project results.

Keywords:

• Meta-governance
• governance of networks
• network governance
• inter-organizational networks
• projects

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Helga Kristín Gunnlaugsdóttir and Þórdís Arnardóttir for their valuable contribution and their support during the data collection process in Iceland.

Additional information

Funding

This publication has been developed and reproduced with a grant from Project Management Institute, Inc. and is the copyrighted material of and owned by, Project Management Institute Inc., Copyright (2022). Unauthorized reproduction of this material is strictly prohibited.

Notes on contributors

Ralf Müller

Ralf Müller, DBA, is a professor of Project Management at BI Norwegian Business School and Editor-in-Chief of the Project Management Journal. He lectures and researches worldwide in leadership, governance, and organizational project management. His work appeared in more than 300 publications and was acknowledged by IPMA, PMI, Emerald, and others with 21 awards in the past 19 years, including several lifetime achievement awards. Stanford University ranks him among the top 2% of the most influential scientists worldwide. He is a Fellow of the Project Management Institute (PMI^®), and the Centre for Excellence in Project Management. Before joining academia, he spent 30 years in the industry consulting with large enterprises and governments in more than 50 different countries for better project management and governance. Projects he worked on span from small up to USD 5 billion in value. He also held related line management positions, such as Worldwide Director of Project Management at NCR Corporation.

Charlotte Alix-Séguin

Charlotte Alix-Séguin, MPM, BBA, is a project management consultant with expertise in strategic planning, risk analysis, decision support, and business case development for transportation and construction projects. Holding a master’s degree in project management, she previously acted as a professional researcher at KHEOPS-International Research Consortium on the Governance of Large Infrastructure Projects. Recipient of several scholarships and awards, the excellence of her work in the field of project management has been notably recognized by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Raimonda Alonderienė

Raimonda Alonderienė, PhD, is a professor at ISM University of Management and Economics (Vilnius, Lithuania) and Director of People and Organizational Development at Devbridge. She teaches, consults, and publishes research papers and cases. Raimonda has improved her competence in ‘International Management Teachers Academy’, Slovenia, UK, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. Her research areas are leadership, human resource management and development, and project management.

Mario Bourgault

Mario Bourgault, PhD, has held research and teaching positions at Polytechnique Montréal since 1998. He has been an active member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (Canada) since he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Laval University in 1986. He has led several research projects related to the management of engineering projects and technological innovation. From 2004 to 2014, he held the Canada Research Chair in Technology Project Management. Over the past 20 years, he has conducted research with both academic and industrial partners and has contributed to more than 100 scientific publications, and supervised students at all academic levels: bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate, and postdoctoral. He currently holds the Pomerleau Research Chair in Innovation and Governance of Construction Projects at Polytechnique Montreal.

Alfredas Chmieliauskas

Alfredas Chmieliauskas, PhD, is an associate professor at ISM University of Management and Economics in Vilnius, Lithuania. He holds a doctorate in computer systems and networks from Latvian Academy of Sciences and a master’s degree in mathematics from Vilnius University. He also holds an A-level certification from IPMA and is the first national assessor appointed by IPMA. Dr. Chmieliauskas was a cofounder and president of ISM University of Management and Economics in Vilnius, Lithuania, and a cofounder and president of the Lithuanian Project Management Association. Currently, he also serves as a board member of the Lithuanian Government Strategic Analysis Centre (STRATA). As a consultant and owner of a project management consulting company, he has provided training and consulting services to more than 250 business and public sector organizations. His teaching and research areas focus on project, program, and portfolio management; innovation; and change management.

Nathalie Drouin

Nathalie Drouin, PhD (Cambridge University, UK) MBA (HEC Montreal), LL.B (Sherbrooke University) is the Executive Director at KHEOPS, an International Research Consortium on the Governance of Large Infrastructure Projects, the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, a full professor at the Department of Management, École des Sciences de la gestion, Université du Québec à Montréal (ESG UQAM) and Adjunct Professor at University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Australia. She teaches initiation and strategic management of projects in the Graduate Project Management Programs at ESG UQAM. Her research has been funded by various research councils. The result of her work has been published in major academic journals and presented at several international conferences. She is looking at organizational project management, leadership issues, megaprojects, and non-financial benefits. She is a former member of the PMI Insight Academic Group. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Logistics and Transportation Metropolitan Cluster of Montreal (CARGO M) and an Audit Committee Member of Parks Canada Agency Audit Committee, Government of Canada. With Ralf Müller and Shankar Sankaran, she has won the 2022 PMI Research Achievement Award; 2021 PMI Cleland Award for the book: Müller, Drouin, and Sankaran (2019b); the 2019 Walt Lipke Project Governance and Control Excellence Award and; the 2019 International Project Management Association IPMA Research Award.

Yongjian Ke

Yongjian Ke, PhD, is an associate professor in the School of the Built Environment and a highly acclaimed project management researcher. His research spans a range of challenges in the delivery of infrastructure projects, including risk allocation, contracting behaviours, social acceptance, and social sustainability, among others. He is particularly interested in sustainable infrastructure development and public-private partnerships (PPP) and their potential to drive new investment and collaboration opportunities between Australia and China. He is a Department Editor for the Project Management Journal, a Guest Professor at Chang’an University in China, and a Research Associate at the Australia-China Relations Institute.

Inga Minelgaite

Inga Minelgaite, PhD, is a professor at the Faculty of Business Administration at the University of Iceland. Her main research focus is on (cross)-cultural leadership and temporary settings (e.g. projects). Inga is IPMA Publications Editorial team member, global manager of FEELS project, and country collaborator of GLOBE research. Inga’s research has been published in journals, such as IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Cross-Cultural and Strategic Management, and Journal of Management Development.

Margarita Pilkienė

Margarita Pilkienė works at ISM University of Management and Economics (Vilnius, Lithuania) as Director of Educational Leadership Master’s program. In the Executive School, she heads the Applied Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management modules of the General Management program. As a scholarly practitioner and research fellow she participates and manages research in international projects, as well as publishes in peer-reviewed international journals. The main research and teaching areas are educational leadership, project leadership, organizational behaviour, and organizational culture.

Saulius Šimkonis

Saulius Šimkonis, PhD, is an associate professor at ISM University of Management and Economics with more than 25 years of practitioner experience in project and portfolio management. He provides training and consulting in project, program, and portfolio management.

Christine Unterhitzenberger

Christine Unterhitzenberger, PhD, is an associate professor of Project Management at University of Leeds and is a Chartered Project Professional. Her research is focussed on organizational and relations aspects in projects and has been published in the leading journals in the field as well as presented at major international conferences. She is a Department Editor for the Project Management Journal^®, founding chair of the Project Experiences Special Interest Group at the British Academy of Management, and former chair of the Research Advisory Group of the Association for Project Management. She has taught on various undergraduate and postgraduate programs for different aspects of project management as well as research methods. She has also developed and delivered project management courses for Executive Education and is a regular speaker at industry events.

Anne Live Vaagaasar

Anne Live Vaagaasar, PhD, is an associate professor of Leadership and Organization, at BI Norwegian Business School. She does research on various aspects of temporary organizing, projects, and project-based firms. She focuses on temporal matters of temporary organizing, temporary inter-organizational collaboration, leadership, team collaboration, and knowledge work in projects. Her research appears in leading journals within the field, and she has also published several international textbooks within the field of temporary organizing.

Linzhuo Wang

Linzhuo Wang, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Economics and Management, Dalian University of Technology (DUT), Dalian, China. He is a visiting scholar at Norwegian University of Science and Technology. He conducts research on project resilience, network governance, project governance and digital platforms, and leadership. His work has appeared in more than 20 academic publications. His research has been funded by Project Management Institute and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation. He has won multiple best-article awards at project management conferences.

Fangwei Zhu

Fangwei Zhu, PhD, is a professor and the vice-president of Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China. He is the director of the Institute of Enterprise Management in DUT, and also the executive director of the China Management Case Sharing Centre. He conducts research in organizational project management; network governance; and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) project management. The results of his studies appeared in more than 60 publications, including six books, and six ‘Top-100 Chinese Management Cases’ over six consecutive years.