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

Discussion
2009; Blomquist & Müller, 2006; Dietrich, 2007), the findings suggest that
the contextual characteristics of a program have a significant effect on how
it is and should be managed. More specifically, the findings provide support
for the contingency approach to boundary activities (Ancona, 1990; Choi,
2002; Drach-Zahavy & Somech, 2010), indicating that the situation-specific
features affect the type and amount of boundary activity that is needed for
giving a change program a proper start.
5.2 Theoretical contribution
In this section, the theoretical contribution of the dissertation is discussed
in terms of four themes that emerged from the findings. First, the nature of
change programs as a specific form of temporary organizations is discussed,
focusing on the program’s boundary with its parent organization. After that,
program management as an approach to implement organizational change
is examined. Then, the program’s search for autonomy is elaborated.
Finally, a holistic view is taken on the findings and the process of program
initiation is discussed in terms of virtuous and vacuous paths of the early
program stage that may determine the course of the whole program.
5.2.1 Change programs as organizations within organizations
The current study makes a contribution to the growing stream of project
management research that examines projects and programs as
“organizations in organizations” (Shenhar & Dvir, 1996). The results of the
study shed light on the special nature of change programs as a distinct form
of temporary organizations, established within fairly permanent parent
organizations. The study adds to the discussion on the open system nature
(e.g. Hellström & Wikström, 2005; Morris, 1988) and contextuality of
temporary organizations (e.g. Engwall, 2003; Jensen et al., 2006) by
turning attention to the temporary organization’s boundaries.
The findings of the study increase understanding of the logic of how
boundaries of a temporary organization are formed and how they evolve.
Several authors have suggested that internal change projects and programs
have especially permeable boundaries and particularly active interaction
with the surrounding organization (Atkinson et al., 2006; Crawford &
Pollack, 2004; Ekstedt et al., 1999). The current study provides empirical
evidence of this permeability and interaction by revealing several types of
boundary activities that cross the change program’s boundary and link the
program to its parent organization. The findings suggest that the
interaction between those in charge of the temporary organization and
those representing the parent organization has an effect on where the
boundary will lie and how permeable it will be. Furthermore, the study
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