Advancing temporal organizing: the case for a practising school in project-based organizing

Abstract

Navigating complexity remains one of the key pragmatic challenges that call for temporal organizing as a response. Whilst project-based organizing is established as an approach integral to deploying temporal organizing we still know little about the lived experiences of project managers as they enact it. It, therefore, merits academic study and attention to analyze further how project-based organizing is practised and why it is practiced in unique ways that offer insights into the practical judgements that underpin project managers’ action choices. We present findings from a study investigating the lived experience of 43 project managers from key sectors in countries around the globe. We use the empirical findings of this qualitative study to show how project managers embody and not only enact the dynamics of temporary organizing in the ways they navigate project complexities and form their judgements on an ongoing basis. This process of practising is marked by leaps of faith that can mark new measures of project success beyond the traditional parameters of project completion on time and budget. This paper makes a compelling case for a new school of thought in advancing temporal organizing that we will call the ‘Practising School’, which informs our understanding of the dynamics of project-based organizing and offers insights into how practitioners navigate the ongoing project complexities inherent in project-based organizing. We pave the way for advancing a practice-based perspective for studying projectification and extend current conceptualizations of temporal organizing.