The social construction of projects. A case study of organizing an extraordinary building project—The Stockholm globe arena
Titel:
The social construction of projects. A case study of organizing an extraordinary building project—The Stockholm globe arena
Auteur:
Sahlin-Andersson, Kerstin
Verschenen in:
Housing, theory and society
Paginering:
Jaargang 9 (1992) nr. 2 pagina's 65-78
Jaar:
1992
Inhoud:
The modernization of western cities and societies is often pursued in the form of big projects. In this article it is argued that part of the explanation why some projects are realized and not others is to be found in the processes of project organizing. The Stockholm Globe Arena project illustrates two different strategies for pursuing big projects. One is the clarity strategy. This is the kind of strategy often outlined in the normative literature. This strategy is based on the idea that intentions, preferences and conditions can be kept stable during the process and will steer the outcome of it. The analyzed case illustrates how the differing and changing intentions, preferences and conditions presented difficulties in pursuing the clarity strategy. The other way of pursuing the project is a sharp contrast to the clarity strategy and is here summarized as the ambiguity strategy. In this strategy, the complexity, ambiguity and the changing conditions are not seen as problematic but are emphasized and made use of in realizing the project. This second strategy can, as is illustrated with the Globe Arena case, be a successful one. However, as long as formal procedures for undertaking big projects are based on the clarity strategy, the ambiguity strategy is pursued behind the facade of the clarity model. The normative recommendations to follow the clarity model may also lead to unrealistic expectations as to the possibilities for planning as well as for controlling the outcome of the project.
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