Managing project culture: The case of environment mega-project

Abstract This paper explores the development of the project culture of Environ Megaproject during the project life cycle. Project cultures run the risk of becoming dysfunctional in transition to a new project phase. The findings indicate the presence of two dominant cultural episodes. During the episode of the Gideon’s gang (1996–2001) innovative and entrepreneurial value orientations were dominant. An intervention imposed from outside the project organization introduced new value orientations of control and accountability. During the episode of the Diplomats (2001–2004) these new value orientations replaced the former project culture. The research findings suggest the necessity of project managers and project performing organizations to reflect upon the development of the project culture during the project life cycle.

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