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Discussion
program initiation and recoupling it at the end of the program, the findings
suggest that integration and isolation coexist. The study proposes that there
is a constant search for balance between integration – adapting to the
structures, norms, and rules of the parent organization – and isolation –
decoupling the program from its environment to protect its progress. It
appears that the optimal level of balance may change as the program makes
progress. This suggests that it is a central challenge (and correspondingly a
critical capability) for the program’s managers to find and maintain the
optimal level of integration (vs. isolation) towards the program’s
environment in the changing situations.
5.2.2 Program management in organizing and leading large-scale
change
Previous literature on organizational change has not clearly recognized the
role of temporary organizations in delivering the change. Although seldom
discussed within the field of organizational change, project management
provides a systematic methodology for dividing complex change efforts into
distinct phases and manageable components, organizing the efforts, and
formally committing top management in the roles of the project owners and
steering group members. The emergence of the program management
approach and the related literature has brought the project management
discipline closer to the disciplines of organizational change and strategic
management. The current study has made an effort to combine the view of
the project management discipline and the literature on organizational
change to shed light on how complex organizational changes can be
delivered by a specific form of temporary organizations, change programs.
While programs have great potential to deliver large-scale organizational
change (Pellegrinelli, 1997; Vereecke et al., 2003), the successful launch
and delivery of a program requires considerable effort. Programs have a
number of characteristics that set them apart from projects, and program
management extends beyond the scope of traditional project management.
The standards for program management (Office of Government Commerce,
2007; Project Management Institute, 2006) suggest certain management
processes or themes to be emphasized in programs, including program
governance, stakeholder management, and benefits management. These
processes or themes are relevant already during the early stage of a
program and they may be linked to the findings of the study.
Firstly, related to program governance, complex multi-project programs
require more structure and administration than single projects. Coming up
with an appropriate program structure and establishing the related
governance framework requires considerable effort. The three investigated
cases showed how program governance may not be planned just among the