TY - JOUR
T1 - Navigating among islands of certainty
T2 - Coordinating as communicative practices of temporary organizations experiencing crisis
AU - Stingl, Verena
AU - McClellan, John G.
PY - 2023/11
Y1 - 2023/11
N2 - This research explores temporary organizing in crisis. Recognizing crises in temporary organizations as involving the existential loss of meaning for plans and prospects, we present a qualitative study of the complex negotiation between integration and fragmentation of a temporary organization experiencing crisis. Embracing communication as constitutive of organization (CCO) theorizing, we analyse the real-time, digital communication during the crisis as episodes of temporary organizing. Our analysis reveals three interdependent communicative practices for coordinating—framing, co-creating, and connecting— that constitute “islands of certainty” or ephemeral instances of integration providing orientation for otherwise fragmented coordinating. These findings contribute to understanding coordinating as a sophisticated communicative practice of meaning negotiation about the possible future of a temporary organization in crisis. Specifically, this study reveals increased integration communication when the integrity of a project’s future is contested, yet high degrees of communicative fragmentation when there is a shared prospection of the project’s future.
AB - This research explores temporary organizing in crisis. Recognizing crises in temporary organizations as involving the existential loss of meaning for plans and prospects, we present a qualitative study of the complex negotiation between integration and fragmentation of a temporary organization experiencing crisis. Embracing communication as constitutive of organization (CCO) theorizing, we analyse the real-time, digital communication during the crisis as episodes of temporary organizing. Our analysis reveals three interdependent communicative practices for coordinating—framing, co-creating, and connecting— that constitute “islands of certainty” or ephemeral instances of integration providing orientation for otherwise fragmented coordinating. These findings contribute to understanding coordinating as a sophisticated communicative practice of meaning negotiation about the possible future of a temporary organization in crisis. Specifically, this study reveals increased integration communication when the integrity of a project’s future is contested, yet high degrees of communicative fragmentation when there is a shared prospection of the project’s future.
KW - Communicative Constitution of Organization
KW - Coordination
KW - Crisis management
KW - Practices
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85175144032&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijproman.2023.102540
DO - 10.1016/j.ijproman.2023.102540
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0263-7863
VL - 41
JO - International Journal of Project Management
JF - International Journal of Project Management
IS - 8
M1 - 102540
ER -