Project business as a research field

Abstract

Purpose: This paper introduces project business as a research field. The project business view in this paper puts focus on the management of firms and their businesses, and this way the paper complements the existing project-centric view of the role of projects and their management in various business contexts. Design/methodology/approach: We propose a conceptual framework for project business and identify relevant research areas and themes. These research areas and themes are derived by using the knowledge and experience obtained from scientific project business research conducted in Finland since the early 1990s. Findings: This paper describes project business as a research field by introducing a project business framework and the four major research areas inherent in the framework: 1. management of a project, 2. management of a project-based firm, 3. management of a project network, and 4. management of a business network. We also suggest specific research areas and themes within the framework that are relevant and contribute to new knowledge in the project business field. Practical/research implications: The project business framework described in this paper, including the suggested research areas and themes, is important in focusing research and for development of practical application of project-based business activities in firms and in public organizations. Originality/value: The paper reveals avenues that lead towards the development of a new body of knowledge for project business that focuses on managing both firms and projects effectively in their networked business environments.

Stakeholder Dynamics during the Project Front-End: The Case of Nuclear Waste Repository Projects

“…Indeed, the concept of project management is defined through stakeholders as “the process of adapting the specifications, plans, and approaches to the different concerns and expectations of the various stakeholders” (Project Management Institute, ). Stakeholders have their own objectives, interests, and expectations, which may conflict and cause challenges to project management (Artto & Kujala, ; Yang, Wang, & Jin, ). Stakeholder theory, thus, has been used instrumentally to enable managers to understand stakeholders and strategically manage them, typically by engendering and maintaining their support (Aaltonen, Kujala, & Oijala, ; Eskerod & Vaagaasar, ; Savage, Nix, Whitehead, & Blair, ).…”

Positioning of media economic framework for novel media in the field of project business

“…The table below provides a formulation of a media economic framework purely on the basis project business research i.e. references to articles Karlos and Kujala [2], Shenhar [5], Söderlund [3] etc. The following Table 2 depicts such a framework This media economic framework still bases its foundations on project business literature.…”

“…For instance, Karlos and Kujala [2] discusses the four research areas i.e. management of a project, management of a project-based firm, management of a project network and management of a business network against several criteria i.e.…”

“…Karlos and Kujala [2] analyzes the keywords project business and develops a framework. The research findings of the paper introduce a project business framework, highlights four key research areas i.e.…”

Risk Management in Project Networks: An Information Processing View

“…Furthermore, project risk management is a widely researched topic in the area of project management research [1] [2] [10] [13] [14]. Prior research on project risk management has primarily focused on the concept of project risk as well as on the identification of risk sources and effective managerial approaches and tools for reducing the risks involved in projects [1] [15].…”