A social-behavioural approach to project work under uncertainty

Abstract Engineering responsiveness is prerequisite to organisational success in dynamically changing engineer-to-order projects, such as specialised vessel construction. Creating flexibility by solving the true project planning complexity is difficult due to the involved uncertainties and dynamics, and classical models lack the flexibility necessary to adequately handle uncertainty. Model-based approaches are, therefore, frequently replaced by informal team processes and judgmental decision making, often demonstrating innovative solutions not visible within traditional approaches. We suggest that the core practice in handling uncertainty in technologically complex large projects is neither imposed by established hierarchies nor model-based decision support, but evolves from the lower level social-behavioural structures, and extend the scope of research to include behavioural characteristics in social networks of project work. We demonstrate a way to study and better align the social capital to enable project responsiveness; by e.g. identifying symptoms of dysfunctional information transfer, and key influencers which will make a change project successful. The main purpose is to gain familiarity with the social phenomena involved, in order to formulate a more precise problem.