Boundary activities and readiness for ... - Projekti-Instituutti

Results
Table 12 Different aspects of the program-parent organization boundary
Boundary
type
Task
boundary
Authority
boundary
General description
Caused by differences
in the nature of work,
and by the specialized
tasks and goals of
organizational entities.
Caused by the division
of formal and informal
hierarchy in
organizations. May be
clearly defined or may
emerge in social
interaction.
Description of how the boundaries were illustrated
in the research data
Program work involves different goals than the daily operations: change
programs pursue specific goals to change their parent organizations,
whereas the daily work in the parent organization focuses on maintaining
ongoing operations and on small-scale development.
The logic of action and way of working in programs differ from the daily
tasks that involve routine and standard procedures. Program work requires
non-routine activities and novel work methods.
Program management is considered a novel approach especially if there is
limited experience of internal change projects. The program management
approach also differs from project management, since projects should have
clear objectives from the beginning, while programs can be initiated with
vaguer goals and a higher level vision.
The extent to which a program’s authority is constrained and supported by
the surrounding parent organization may differ. The role and position of a
program within the parent organization’s management system may be
clearly defined, or the program may lack a clear position.
The authority of the key program managers may be formally defined in
relation to the authority structure of the line organization. The key program
managers may possess authority via their high-ranking positions in the line
organization, and they may acquire authority during the program by
demonstrating managerial capabilities.
Physical or
spatial
boundary
Temporal
boundary
Social and
identity
boundary
Knowledge
boundary
Caused by different
locations and access
restrictions to physical
and virtual spaces.
Created by a temporal
distance between
organizational
activities, and
promoted by different
time orientations and
schedules.
Caused by different
identities, values and
social orientations.
Related to who people
interact with and who
they trust.
Caused by the lack of
knowledge about the
state of affairs.
The program team may be located in a different office location than the rest
of the organization, setting physical boundaries around the program
Early program activities may be conducted in one location (e.g. the
headquarters), while the program may aim to affect the entire organization.
Thus, there may be some distance between the emerging program and the
change recipients.
Change programs tend to involve a different pace of work than daily
operations. Programs are temporary endeavors characterized by schedules
and deadlines, and program work may involve a sense of urgency. On the
other hand, programs typically involve a time horizon of several years,
whereas ongoing operations focus on shorter-term achievements. Due to
busy schedules related to daily work it may be difficult to schedule
cooperation across the program’s boundaries.
If work time is not clearly allocated to program work or if the program is
not prioritized over line work and other projects, there may be a lack of time
to devote to program work.
The program’s identity is constructed during the early program stages. The
shared identity of the program team can contribute to the social detachment
of the program personnel from the rest of the organization.
The program management approach as such may be unfamiliar, and some
people may not identify with the related principles.
The extent to which people identify with a program may differ. The
identification pattern does not necessarily follow the program’s formal
organization chart, but there may be varying views of whether the
participants regard themselves as members of the program organization, and
who else they include.
Even people that are viewed as central program participants or key
stakeholders may lack knowledge about the program, its goals, status and its
ongoing and planned activities.
Knowledge boundaries can often be interpreted as consequences of other
boundary types, referring to the peripheral program participants’ lack of
time, authority, interest, or means to gain knowledge about the program.
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