Learning in project-based organizations: The role of project teams' social capital for overcoming barriers to learning

International Journal of Project Management

Volumn 31, Issue 2, 2013, Pages 239-251

  Bartsch, Vera ^a   Ebers, Mark ^a   Maurer, Indre ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF COLOGNE   (Germany)

Author keywords

Learning; Learning barriers; Market knowledge; Product and technological knowledge; Project management knowledge; Project based organizations; Social capital

Indexed keywords

COMMERCE; PROJECT MANAGEMENT; SOCIETIES AND INSTITUTIONS;

LEARNING; LEARNING BARRIERS; MARKET KNOWLEDGE; PROJECT-BASED ORGANIZATIONS; SOCIAL CAPITALS; TECHNOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE;

ENGINEERING EDUCATION;

KNOWLEDGE; LEARNING; MARKET CONDITIONS; ORGANIZATIONAL FRAMEWORK; PROJECT MANAGEMENT; SOCIAL CAPITAL;

GERMANY;

EID: 84870759605     PISSN: 02637863     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijproman.2012.06.009     Document Type: Article

References (131)

1. Adler P.S. Market, hierarchy, and trust: The knowledge economy and the future of capitalism. The Strategic Management of Intellectual Capital and Organizational Knowledge 2002, 23-46. Oxford University Press, Oxford. C.W. Choo, N. Bontis (Eds.).
2. Adler P.S., Kwon S.-W. Social capital: Prospects for a new concept. Academy of Management Review 2002, 27(1):17-40.
3. Ahuja G. Collaboration networks, structural holes, and innovation: A longitudinal study. Administrative Science Quarterly 2000, 45(3):425-455.
4. Ajmal M.M., Koskinen K.U. Knowledge transfer in project-based organizations: An organizational culture perspective. Project Management Journal 2008, 39(1):7-15.
5. Argote L. Organizational Learning: Creating, Retaining and Transferring Knowledge 1999, Kluwer, Boston.
6. Argote L., Ingram P. Knowledge transfer: A basis for competitive advantage in firms. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 2000, 82(1):150-169.
7. Argote L., Miron-Spektor E. Organizational learning: From experience to knowledge. Organization Science 2011, 22(5):1123-1137.
8. Argote L., Ophir R. Intraorganizational learning. The Blackwell Companion to Organizations 2005, 181-207. Blackwell, Oxford. J.A.C. Baum (Ed.).
9. Argote L., McEvily B., Reagans R. Introduction to the special issue on managing knowledge in organizations: Creating, retaining, and transferring knowledge. Management Science 2003, 49(4):v-viii.
10. Argyris C., Schön D. Organizational Learning: A Theory of Action Perspective Reading 1978, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
11. Ayas K. Professional project management: A shift towards learning and a knowledge creating structure. International Journal of Project Management 1996, 14(3):131-136.
12. Baker B.N., Murphy D.C., Fisher D. Factors affecting project success. Project Management Handbook 2008, 902-919. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
13. Bakker R.M. Taking stock of temporary organizational forms: A systematic review and research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews 2010, 12(4):466-486.
14. Bakker R.M., Cambré B., Korlaar L., Raab J. Managing the project learning paradox: A set-theoretic approach toward project knowledge transfer. International Journal of Project Management 2011, 29(5):494-503.
15. Bechky B.A. Gaffers, gofers, and grips: Role-based coordination in temporary organizations. Organization Science 2006, 17(1):3-21.
16. Blindenbach-Driessen F., van den Ende J. Innovation in project-based firms: The context dependency of success factors. Research Policy 2006, 35(4):545-561.
17. Brady T., Davies A. Building project capabilities: From exploratory to exploitative learning. Organization Studies 2004, 25(9):1601-1621.
18. Bresnen M., Edelman L., Newell S., Scarbrough H., Swan J. Social practices and the management of knowledge in project environments. International Journal of Project Management 2003, 21(3):157-166.
19. Bresnen M., Goussevskaia A., Swan J. Embedding new management knowledge in project-based organizations. Organization Studies 2004, 25(9):1535-1555.
20. Bresnen M., Edelman L., Newell S., Scarbrough H., Swan J. Exploring social capital in the construction firm. Building Research & Information 2005, 33(3):235-244.
21. Browne M.W., Cudeck R. Alternative ways of assessing model fit. Testing structural equation models 1993, 136-162. Sage, Newbury Park. K.A. Bollen, J.S. Long (Eds.).
22. Bstieler L., Hemmert M. Increasing learning and time efficiency in interorganizational new product development teams. Journal of Product Innovation Management 2010, 27(4):485-499.
23. Burgers J.H., Van Den Bosch F.A.J., Volberda H.W. Why new business development projects fail: Coping with the differences of technological versus market knowledge. Long Range Planning 2008, 41(1):55-73.
24. Burt R.S., Knez M. Trust in third-party gossip. Trust in Organizations: Frontiers of Theory and Research 1996, 68-89. Sage, Thousand Oaks. R.M. Kramer, T.R. Tyler (Eds.).
25. Cacciatori E. Memory objects in project environments: Storing, retrieving and adapting learning in project-based firms. Research Policy 2008, 37(9):1591-1601.
26. Chakravarthy B., McEvily S., Doz Y., Rau D. Knowledge management and competitive advantage. The Blackwell Handbook OF Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management 2003, 306-323. Blackwell, Malden. M. Easterby-Smith, M. Lyles (Eds.).
27. Chen M.-H., Chang Y.-C., Hung S.-C. Social capital and creativity in R&D project teams. R&D Management 2008, 38(1):21-34.
28. Child J., Rodrigues S. The role of social identity in the international transfer of knowledge through joint ventures. The Politics of Management Knowledge 1996, 46-68. Sage, London. S.R. Clegg, G. Palmer (Eds.).
29. Cooper K.G., Lyneis J.M., Bryant B.J. Learning to learn, from past to future. International Journal of Project Management 2002, 20(3):213-219.
30. Crossan M.M., Lane H.W., White R.E. An organizational learning framework: From intuition to institution. Academy of Management Review 1999, 24(3):522-537.
31. Crossan M.M., Maurer C.C., White R.E. Reflections on the 2009 AMR Decade Award: Do we have a theory of organizational learning?. Academy of Management Review 2011, 36(3):446-460.
32. Cyert R.M., March J.G. A Behavioral Theory of the Firm 1963, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
33. Davies A., Hobday M. The Business of Projects: Managing Innovation in Complex Products and Systems 2005, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
34. DeFillippi R.J., Arthur M.B. Paradox in project-based enterprise: The case of film making. California Management Review 1998, 40(2):125-139.
35. DeFillippi R., Ornstein S. Psychological perspectives underlying theories of organizational learning. The Blackwell Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management 2004, 19-37. Blackwell, Malden. 2nd ed. M. Easterby-Smith, A. Lyles (Eds.).
36. Di Vincenzo F., Mascia D. Social capital in project-based organizations: Its role, structure, and impact on project performance. International Journal of Project Management 2012, 30(1):5-14.
37. Disterer G. Management of project knowledge and experiences. Journal of Knowledge Management 2002, 6(5):512-520.
38. Dodgson M. Technological Collaboration in Industry 1993, Routledge, London.
39. Duanmu J.-L., Fai F.M. A processual analysis of knowledge transfer: From foreign MNEs to Chinese suppliers. International Business Review 2007, 16(4):449-473.
40. Easterby-Smith M., Araujo L. Organizational learning and the learning organization: Developments in theory and practice. Organizational Learning and the Learning Organization: Developments in Theory and Practice 1999, 1-21. Sage, London. M. Easterby-Smith, L. Araujo, J.G. Burgoyne (Eds.).
41. Easterby-Smith M., Lyles M.A. The Blackwell Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management 2003, Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA.
42. Edmondson A.C., Nembhard I.M. Product development and learning in project teams: The challenges are the benefits. Journal of Product Innovation Management 2009, 26(2):123-138.
43. Eisenhardt K.M., Santos F.M. Knowledge-based view: A new theory of strategy?. Handbook of Strategy and Management 2002, 139-164. SAGE Publications, London. A. Pettigrew, H. Thomas, R. Whittington (Eds.).
44. Ekstedt E., Lundin R.A., Söderholm A., Wirdenius H. Neo-industrial organising. Renewal by Action and Knowledge in a Project-Intensive Economy 1999, Routledge, London.
45. Fern M., Cardinal L.B. From corporate strategy to performance: The effect of interunit knowledge transfer on innovativeness. Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings 2003, A1-A6.
46. Fischer H.M., Pollock T.G. Effects of social capital and power on surviving transformational change: The case of initial public offerings. Academy of Management Journal 2004, 47(4):463-481.
47. Fong P.S.W., Lung B.W.C. Interorganizational teamwork in the construction industry. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 2007, 133(2):157-168.
48. Ford J.K., MacCallum R.C., Tait M. The application of exploratory factor analysis in applied psychology: A critical review and analysis. Personnel Psychology 1986, 39(2):291-314.
49. Fornell C., Larcker D.F. Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research 1981, 18(1):39-50.
50. Fuentelsaz L., Gómez J., Palomas S. The effects of new technologies on productivity: An intrafirm diffusion-based assessment. Research Policy 2009, 38(7):1172-1180.
51. Gabbay S.M., Leenders R.T.A.J. Social capital of organizations: From social structure to the management of corporate social capital. Social Capital of Organizations 2001, 1-20. JAI, Amsterdam. S.M. Gabbay, R.T.A.J. Leenders (Eds.).
52. Gann D.M., Salter A.J. Innovation in project-based, service-enhanced firms: The construction of complex products and systems. Research Policy 2000, 29(7/8):955-972.
53. Ghoshal S., Korine H., Szulanski G. Interunit communication in multinational corporations. Management Science 1994, 40(1):96-110.
54. Grabher G. The project ecology of advertising: Tasks, talents and teams. Regional Studies 2002, 36(3):245-262.
55. Granovetter M. The strength of weak ties. The American Journal of Sociology 1973, 78(6):1360-1380.
56. Grant R.M. The knowledge-based view of the firm. The Strategic Management of Intellectual Capital and Organizational Knowledge 2002, 133-148. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 1st ed. C.W. Choo (Ed.).
57. Gupta A.K., Govindarajan V. Knowledge flows within multinational corporations. Strategic Management Journal 2000, 21(4):473-496.
58. Haeussler C., Patzelt H., Zahra S.A. Strategic alliances and product development in high technology new firms: The moderating effect of technological capabilities. Journal of Business Venturing 2012, 27(2):217-233.
59. Hair J.F., Anderson R.E., Tatham R.L., Black W.C. Multivariate data analysis 1995, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River. 4th ed.
60. Hansen M.T. The search-transfer problem: The role of weak ties in sharing knowledge across organization subunits. Administrative Science Quarterly 1999, 44(1):82-111.
61. Hansen M.T. Knowledge networks: Explaining effective knowledge sharing in multiunit companies. Organization Science 2002, 13(3):232-248.
62. Hansen M.T., Podolny J.M., Pfeffer J. So many ties, so little time: A task contingency perspective on corporate social capital in organizations. Social Capital of Organizations 2001, 21-57. JAI, Amsterdam. S.M. Gabbay, R.T.A.J. Leenders (Eds.).
63. Hansen M.T., Mors M.L., Løvås B. Knowledge sharing in organizations: Multiple networks, multiple phases. Academy of Management Journal 2005, 48(5):776-793.
64. Hobday M. The project-based organisation: An ideal form for managing complex products and systems?. Research Policy 2000, 29(7/8):871-893.
65. Huber G.P. Organizational learning: The contributing processes and the literature. Organization Science 1991, 2(1):88-115.
66. Ingram P. Interorganizational learning. Companion to Organizations 2005, 642-663. Blackwell, Malden, MA. 2nd ed. J.A.C. Baum (Ed.).
67. Inkpen A.C., Tsang E.W.K. Social capital, networks, and knowledge transfer. Academy of Management Review 2005, 30(1):146-165.
68. Jöreskog K.G., Sörbom D. Recent developments in structural equation modeling. Journal of Marketing Research 1982, 19(4):404-416.
69. Kang S.-C., Morris S.S., Snell S.A. Relational archetypes, organizational learning, and value creation: Extending the human resource architecture. Academy of Management Review 2007, 32(1):236-256.
70. Kasvi J.J.J., Vartiainen M., Hailikari M. Managing knowledge and knowledge competences in projects and project organisations. International Journal of Project Management 2003, 21(8):571-582.
71. Keegan A., Turner J.R. Quantity versus quality in project-based learning practices. Management Learning 2001, 32(1):77-99.
72. Koka B.R., Prescott J.E. Strategic alliances as social capital: A multidimensional view. Strategic Management Journal 2002, 23(9):795-816.
73. Koners U., Goffin K. Learning from postproject reviews: A cross-case analysis. Journal of Product Innovation Management 2007, 24(3):242-258.
74. Koskinen K.U. Knowledge management to improve project communication and implementation. Project Management Journal 2004, 35(2):13-19.
75. Koskinen K.U., Pihlanto P., Vanharanta H. Tacit knowledge acquisition and sharing in a project work context. International Journal of Project Management 2003, 21(4):281-290.
76. Kostova T. Transnational transfer of strategic organizational practices: A contextual perspective. Academy of Management Review 1999, 24(2):308-324.
77. Kostova T., Roth K. Adoption of an organizational practice by subsidiaries of multinational corporations: Institutional and relational effects. Academy of Management Journal 2002, 45(1):215-233.
78. Kratzer J., Leenders R.T.A.J., van Engelen J.M.L. The social network among engineering design teams and their creativity: A case study among teams in two product development programs. International Journal of Project Management 2010, 28(5):428-436.
79. Lane P.J., Lubatkin M. Relative absorptive capacity and interorganizational learning. Strategic Management Journal 1998, 19(5):461-477.
80. Laurikkala H., Vilkman H., Tanskanen K. Project management know-how transfer in a networked multi-project environment. Paper presented at the 8th International Conference on Concurrent Engineering, Rome, Italy 2002.
81. Levitt B., March J.G. Organizational learning. Annual Review of Sociology 1988, 14:319-340.
82. Lewis K., Herndon B. Transactive memory systems: Current issues and future research directions. Organization Science 2011, 22(5):1254-1265.
83. Li L. The effects of trust and shared vision on inward knowledge transfer in subsidiaries' intra- and inter-organizational relationships. International Business Review 2005, 14(1):77-95.
84. Li T., Calantone R.J. The impact of market knowledge competence on new product advantage: Conceptualization and empirical examination. Journal of Marketing 1998, 62(4):13-29.
85. Lichtenthaler U. Absorptive capacity, environmental turbulence, and the complementarity of organizational learning processes. Academy of Management Journal 2009, 52(4):822-846.
86. Lin C.-Y., Kuo T.-H. The mediate effect of learning and knowledge on organizational performance. Industrial Management & Data Systems 2007, 107(7):1066-1083.
87. Lindner F., Wald A. Success factors of knowledge management in temporary organizations. International Journal of Project Management 2011, 29(7):877-888.
88. Lord M.D., Ranft A.L. Organizational learning about new international markets: Exploring the internal transfer of local market knowledge. Journal of International Business Studies 2000, 31(4):573-589.
89. Lui S.S., Ngo H.-Y. The role of trust and contractual safeguards on cooperation in non-equity alliances. Journal of Management 2004, 30(4):471-485.
90. Lui S.S., Ngo H.-Y. An action pattern model of inter-firm cooperation. Journal of Management Studies 2005, 42(6):1123-1153.
91. Lundin R.A., Söderholm A. A theory of the temporary organization. Scandinavian Journal of Management 1995, 11(4):437-455.
92. Maurer I. How to build trust in inter-organizational projects: The impact of project staffing and project rewards on the formation of trust, knowledge acquisition and product innovation. International Journal of Project Management 2010, 28(7):629-637.
93. Maurer I., Bartsch V., Ebers M. The value of intra-organizational social capital: How it fosters knowledge transfer, innovation performance, and growth. Organization Studies 2011, 32(2):157-185.
94. Maurer I., Ebers M. Dynamics of social capital and their performance implications: Lessons from Biotechnology start-ups. Administrative Science Quarterly 2006, 51(2):262-292.
95. McFadyen M.A., Cannella A.A. Social capital and knowledge creation: Diminishing returns of the number and strength of exchange relationships. Academy of Management Journal 2004, 47(5):735-746.
96. Midler C. 'Projectification' of the firm: The Renault case. Scandinavian Journal of Management 1995, 11(4):363-375.
97. Moran P. Structural vs. relational embeddedness: Social capital and managerial performance. Strategic Management Journal 2005, 26(12):1129-1151.
98. Nahapiet J., Ghoshal S. Social capital, intellectual capital, and the organizational advantage. Academy of Management Review 1998, 23(2):242-266.
99. Nonaka I., von Krogh G., Voelpel S. Organizational knowledge creation theory: Evolutionary paths and future advances. Organization Studies 2006, 27(8):1179-1208.
100. Nooteboom B., Vanhaverbeke W., Duysters G., Gilsing V., Van Den Oord A. Optimal cognitive distance and absorptive capacity. Research Policy 2007, 36(7):1016-1034.
101. Nunnally J.C. Psychometric Theory 1978, McGraw-Hill, New York. 2nd ed.
102. Oh H., Chung M.-H., Labianca G. Group social capital and group effectiveness: The role of informal socializing ties. Academy of Management Journal 2004, 47(6):860-875.
103. Podsakoff P.M., Organ D.W. Self-reports in organizational research: Problems and prospects. Journal of Management 1986, 12(4):531-544.
104. Podsakoff P.M., MacKenzie S.B., Jeong-Yeon L., Podsakoff N.P. Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology 2003, 88(5):879-903.
105. Prencipe A., Tell F. Inter-project learning: Processes and outcomes of knowledge codification in project-based firms. Research Policy 2001, 30(9):1373-1394.
106. Reagans R., McEvily B. Network structure and knowledge transfer: The effects of cohesion and range. Administrative Science Quarterly 2003, 48(2):240-267.
107. Ruuska I., Vartiainen M. Characteristics of knowledge sharing communities in project organizations. International Journal of Project Management 2005, 23(5):374-379.
108. Sammarra A., Biggiero L. Heterogeneity and specificity of inter-firm knowledge flows in innovation networks. Journal of Management Studies 2008, 45(4):800-829.
109. Scarbrough H., Swan J., Laurent S., Bresnen M., Edelman L.F., Newell S. Project-based learning and the role of learning boundaries. Organization Studies 2004, 25(9):1579-1600.
110. Schulz M. Organizational learning. The Blackwell Companion to Organizations 2005, 415-441. Blackwell, Oxford. J.A.C. Baum (Ed.).
111. Schwab A. Incremental organizational learning from multilevel information sources: Evidence for cross-level interactions. Organization Science 2007, 18(2):233-251.
112. Schwab A. Learning from broadcasts of project participation: Selection of second-tier actors during project-venture formation in the movie industry, 1931-40. Strategic Organization 2009, 7(2):137-181.
113. Schwab A., Miner A.S. Organizational learning implications of partnering flexibility in project-venture settings: A multi-level framework. Project-Based Organizing and Strategic Management 2011, 115-145. Emerald, Bingley, UK. G. Cattani, S. Ferriani, L. Frederiksen, F. Täube (Eds.).
114. Shenhar A.J., Dvir D. Toward a typological theory of project management. Research Policy 1996, 25(4):607-632.
115. Smith K.G., Collins C.J., Clark K.D. Existing knowledge, knowledge creation capability, and the rate of new product introduction in high-technology firms. Academy of Management Journal 2005, 48(2):346-357.
116. Smith-Doerr L., Manev I.M., Rizova P. The meaning of success: Network position and the social construction of project outcomes in an R&D lab. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management 2004, 21(1/2):51-82.
117. Söderlund J. Building theories of project management: Past research, questions for the future. International Journal of Project Management 2004, 22(3):183-191.
118. Starbuck W.H. Learning by knowledge-intensive firms. Journal of Management Studies 1992, 29(6):713-740.
119. Stuart T.E., Podolny J.M. Local search and the evolution of technological capabilities. Strategic Management Journal 1996, 17(7):21-38.
120. Sydow J., Lindkvist L., DeFillippi R. Project-based organizations, embeddedness and repositories of knowledge: Editorial. Organization Studies 2004, 25(9):1475-1489.
121. Tsai W. Knowledge transfer in intraorganizational networks: Effects of network position and absorptive capacity on business unit innovation and performance. Academy of Management Journal 2001, 44(5):996-1004.
122. Tsai W., Ghoshal S. Social capital and value creation: The role of intrafirm networks. Academy of Management Journal 1998, 41(4):464-476.
123. van Donk D.P., Riezebos J. Exploring the knowledge inventory in project-based organisations: A case study. International Journal of Project Management 2005, 23(1):75-83.
124. van Wijk R., Jansen J.J.P., Lyles M.A. Inter- and intra-organizational knowledge transfer: A meta-analytic review and assessment of its antecedents and consequences. Journal of Management Studies 2008, 45(4):830-853.
125. Wenger E. Communities of practice and social learning systems. Organization 2000, 7(2):225-246.
126. Westney D.E. International transfer of organizational technology. The International Communication of Technology 1991, 167-223. Taylor & Francis, New York. R.D. Robinson (Ed.).
127. Westney D.E. Domestic and foreign learning curves in managing international cooperative strategies. Cooperative Strategies in International Business 2002, 339-346. Pergamon, Lexington, MA. 2nd ed. F.J. Contractor, P. Lorange (Eds.).
128. White D., Fortune J. Current practice in project management - An empirical study. International Journal of Project Management 2002, 20(1):1-11.
129. Whittington R., Pettigrew A., Peck S., Fenton E., Conyon M. Change and complementarities in the new competitive landscape: A European panel study, 1992-1996. Organization Science 1999, 10(5):583-600.
130. Williams T. Identifying the hard lessons from projects - Easily. International Journal of Project Management 2004, 22(4):273-279.
131. Winch G. The construction firm and the construction project: A transaction cost approach. Construction Management and Economics 1989, 7(4):331-345.