How Coordination Trajectories Influence the Performance of Interorganizational Project Networks

What is it about?

This study examines how the joint use of integrators or contracts either enables or hampers coordination and, in turn, project performance. We develop the concept of coordination trajectory – that is, the pattern of relative use of contracts and integrators across phases – to account for differences in project performance.

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Why is it important?

We show that coordination trajectories not only impact on time and cost overruns but also influence building quality in building projects. Expertise in adjusting the prevalence of the contracts and integrators across phases will help project management teams to address “the root problem” in project delivery, i.e., timely coordination. Our study has clear implications for the building industry: 1. Our findings provide a novel explanation about the longstanding time and costs overruns in the building industry; i.e., project performance depends on coordination trajectories; 2. Unlike conventional wisdom, we show that project (under)performance cannot be blamed on contracts or the project managers alone, but rather on the use of both contracts and integrators across project phases; 3. In addition to “hard skills”, the training of those in charge of projects should also focus on expertise necessary to adjust the prevalence of the use of contracts and integrators in function of the coordination needs across project phases and evolving coordination challenges

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