Inter-Team Coordination Patterns and Outcomes in Multi-Team Projects

Abstract

We examine what kinds of patterns of mechanisms can be applied in the coordination of several inter‐related project teams. We identify three distinct coordination schemes; namely: centralized coordination, decentralized coordination, and balanced coordination. In addition, we compare individuals' perceptions on communication, coordination effectiveness, project efficiency, learning, task analyzability, and task uncertainty between the three identified coordination schemes. The results of our study extend to both theoretical and practical understanding of coordination in multi‐team projects and its relation to communication, coordination effectiveness, project performance, and learning.

Learning through Interactions: Improving Project Management through Communities of Practice

“…Some of the recent literature in project management focuses on knowledge sharing by project teams, such as Jepsen (2013), who studies the core actors assisting a project manager in knowledge sharing both inside and outside an organization. Dietrich, Kujala, and Artto (2013) examine communication mechanisms of inter-related project teams, whereas Algeo (2014) explores knowledge acquisition and exchange in project team environments. In addition, communities of practice have been positioned as a possible solution to the knowledge transfer problem.…”

Collaboration in Agile Software Development: Concept and Dimensions

“…Our findings concur with their assertion: the respondents focus more on progress reporting rather than on dependency management. The planning and reporting mechanisms of coordination we found may usually correspond to what researchers term an impersonal mode of coordination (Dietrich, Kujala, & Artto, 2013). Mechanisms such as pre-established plans, schedules, forecasts, formalized rules, policies, procedures, and standard information and communication systems exemplify this impersonal model.…”

The Difficult but Necessary Task of Developing a Specific Project Team Research Agenda

“…Emergence can span individual and team levels, but it can also span higher levels. One example is Dietrich, Kujala, and Artto's () case study, which aims to understand how coordination between multiple projects impacts the performance of multi‐team systems. They report that interactions develop into one of three coordination patterns: centralized, decentralized, or balanced.…”