Theory Meets Practice: Practical Implications of Process Theory in Project Management

Process thinking and process-based theory are receiving increased attention in the field of organization studies and organization theory development (Tsoukas & Chia, 2002; Langley & Tsoukas, 2010; Hernes, 2014). The aim has been to study processes rather than structures, in organizations. This has recently inspired research on the organizing of projects and the development of a (new) theory of temporary organizations (Bakker, 2010; Blomquist et al. 2010; Söderlund, 2013). These theories are still under development and need empirical studies that can show their relevance for practice. This paper will give an overview of this theoretical development and discuss the consequences for the practice of project management. The paper finds that the focus on processes such as time and temporality, meaning structures, and articulation are covered in project management research, but sparsely documented outside specific industries. The practical implications and applications have to do with enhancing the role of project manager (PM) from controlling to facilitating, directing, and authoring.