How Did the Imperfection of an Innovation Project Come About? The Tension Between Legitimacy and Flexibility

Abstract

Although current project management literature has claimed to learn from imperfect or failing projects, the process through which the imperfection of a project, in particular of an innovative-centered one, comes about remains unexplored. Based on a longitudinal case study of an interorganizational innovation project, the author developed a process model, showing that the project management team involved—consisting of well-integrated members of their permanent organizations—failed to manage the tension between legitimacy and flexibility by relying too heavily on traditional project management practices. This then led to an innovation project that was anything but perfect with respect to both process and outcome.