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ROUTINES IN CONSECUTIVE PROJECTS

Research Objectives The objective of this study was to understand routines in project context. As routines are recurring, context-related behaviour patterns and projects are one-off complex endeavours, the combination provides an interesting and paradoxical but rarely researched research set-up. Routines are seen as key components in capability building, knowledge creation and transfer, as well as a source of inertia and excess bureaucracy. Projects on the other hand face a challenge in transferring knowledge and capabilities. The research aimed to understand what routines are in project context, what their role is, what factors affect the routines and how they are developed in consecutive projects.

Methodology The research was conducted as an embedded case study of one investment program with four consecutive projects. The case company was a Finnish oil company aiming at becoming the world’s largest renewable fuels provider. The empirical study used 29 open, semi-structured interviews from the projects and the case company. The research was done as part of a larger research project on large project governance.

Research Findings The research findings state that routines exist in projects but are relatively difficult to identify. They are not isolated events but intertwined with other routines and artifacts. Routines are used to create, store and transfer knowledge and capabilities between projects. If routines are not appropriately acknowledged and transferred from one project to another, know-how can be lost. Routines are affected by the context, the participants of the routine as well as the related artifacts. Both the permanent as well as the project organization affect the project’s routines. Routines are developed among other things by increasing the participants’ knowledge on the cause and effect of the routine, as well as planning appropriate artifacts and incentives.

Routines in consecutive projects Master’s thesis Anne Liiri 2011

Aalto University School of Economics

AALTO UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS ABSTRACT Organization and Management November 2011 Master’s Thesis Anne Liiri

ROUTINES IN CONSECUTIVE PROJECTS

Research Objectives The objective of this study was to understand routines in project context. As routines are recurring, context-related behaviour patterns and projects are one-off complex endeavours, the combination provides an interesting and paradoxical but rarely researched research set-up. Routines are seen as key components in capability building, knowledge creation and transfer, as well as a source of inertia and excess bureaucracy. Projects on the other hand face a challenge in transferring knowledge and capabilities. The research aimed to understand what routines are in project context, what their role is, what factors affect the routines and how they are developed in consecutive projects.

Methodology The research was conducted as an embedded case study of one investment program with four consecutive projects. The case company was a Finnish oil company aiming at becoming the world’s largest renewable fuels provider. The empirical study used 29 open, semi-structured interviews from the projects and the case company. The research was done as part of a larger research project on large project governance.

Research Findings The research findings state that routines exist in projects but are relatively difficult to identify. They are not isolated events but intertwined with other routines and artifacts. Routines are used to create, store and transfer knowledge and capabilities between projects. If routines are not appropriately acknowledged and transferred from one project to another, know-how can be lost. Routines are affected by the context, the participants of the routine as well as the related artifacts. Both the permanent as well as the project organization affect the project’s routines. Routines are developed among other things by increasing the participants’ knowledge on the cause and effect of the routine, as well as planning appropriate artifacts and incentives.

Key Words Routine, project, artifact, capabilities

RUTIINIT PERÄKKÄISISSÄ PROJEKTEISSA

Tutkimuksen tavoitteet Tämä Pro Gradu-tutkielma tutki rutiineja projektikontekstissa. Rutiinit ovat toistuvia, kontekstisidonnaisina käyttäytymismalleja. Projektit taas ovat uniikkeja, monimutkaisia hankkeita. Tämä yhdistelmä tarjoaa mielenkiintoisen ja ristiriitaisen tutkimusasetelman, jota on harvoin tutkittu. Rutiinit nähdään tärkeänä osana organisaation kyvykkyyksiä, tiedon synnyttämistä ja luomista, mutta myös inertian ja byrokratian lähteenä. Projektien haasteena taas on yleisesti nähty tiedon ja kyvykkyyksien siirto. Tämä tutkimus pyrki selvittämään mitä rutiinit ovat projektikontekstissa, mikä rutiinien rooli on projekteissa, mitkä tekijät vaikuttavat rutiineihin sekä miten rutiineja kehitetään peräkkäisissä projekteissa.

Metodologia Tutkimus toteutettiin tapaustutkimuksena neljän projektin investointiohjelmasta. Tapaustutkimuksen yritys oli suomalainen öljy-yhtiö, jonka tavoitteena on kasvaa maailman suurimmaksi uusiutuvien polttoaineiden tuottajaksi. Empiirinen tutkimus käsitti 29 avointa, puolistrukturoitua haastattelua projekteista ja kohdeyrityksestä. Tämä tutkimus toteutettiin osana laajempaa, suuria projekteja tutkivaa tutkimusprojektia.

Tutkimuksen tulokset Tutkimus osoittaa, että myös projekteissa esiintyy rutiineja, mutta ne ovat vaikeammin tunnistettavissa kuin pysyvissä organisaatioissa. Rutiinit eivät ole irrallisia tapahtumia, vaan ne ovat liitoksissa muiden rutiinien ja artefaktien kanssa. Rutiinit ovat projekteissa osa tiedon ja kyvykkyyksien luomista, säilömistä ja siirtämistä projektien välillä. Jos rutiineja ei tunnusteta ja asianmukaisesti siirretä projektista toiseen, tietämys voidaan kadottaa. Rutiineihin vaikuttaa konteksti, rutiiniin osallistujat sekä artefaktit. Projektiorganisaation lisäksi, myös pysyvä organisaatio vaikuttaa projektin rutiineihin. Rutiineita projekteissa kehitetään muun muassa lisäämällä osallistujien tietämystä rutiinin syistä ja seurauksista, sekä suunnittelemalla asianmukaiset artefaktit ja kannustimet.

Avainsanat Rutiini, projekti, artefakti, kyvykkyydet