Creating a shared stakeholder understanding in the project team Martina Huemann, WU Vienna Daniela Andratsch, Constellation Expert Pernille Eskerod; University of Sothern Denmark
NETLIPSE Meeting, Vienna, 24 November 2014
Session: Agenda Relevance Research Project: Rethink! Project Stakeholder Management Theoretical perspective Research propositions Cases Summary
Partly sponsored by:
In cooperation with:
Project Organisation
Prof. Dr. Martina Huemann
Prof. Dr. Pernille Eskerod
Dr. Claudia Ringhofer
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Constellation experts: Dr Daniela Andratsch; Brigitte Sachs-Schaffer
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Focus group contributors: Project management, stakeholder management and sustainable development experts
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Practice partner contributors: Representatives of practice partners
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Cooperation partners: NETLISPE, PMI
Research Project: Objectives Develop a more comprehensive project stakeholder management approach – in the context of sustainable development – to better support benefit creation for project investors and other project stakeholders Investigate potentials and limitations of systemic methods for project stakeholder analysis Co-creation of knowledge – based on theory and in cooperation with practice – practice case studies, demonstration case studies, focus group workshops Publications
Overview Cases
Theoretical Perspective
Project as Social System No project is an island (Engwall 2003) A social system constitutes itself by differentiating itself from its context (Luhmann 1995) Internal structures/context Stakeholders are relevant social environments for a social system Limited possibility to “manage“ projects and project stakeholder
(based on Kasper 1990)
Contemporary Stakeholder Theories Management of stakeholders approach • • •
An instrumental approach Stakeholders as means to provide resources Make stakeholders comply to the organization’s needs
Management for stakeholders approach •A normative or ethical approach •Stakeholders have legitimate rights regardless of their power to influence the organization •To search for win-win situations (Freeman, Harrison & Wicks 2007)
Research Propositions
Proposition: A societal request for considering sustainable development as a context for projects places new demands on project stakeholder management
Proposition: Different social systems have different stakeholders and stakeholder relations, which requires to organize for transfers
Proposition: There are differences in project stakeholder management and stakeholder management in the permanent organization regarding timing and organization.
Proposition: Comprehensive project stakeholder management represents more a managing FOR stakeholders than a managing OF stakeholders approach
Managing of Stakeholders
Managing for Stakeholders
Perception of stakeholders
Instruments Key is project investor Disturbances
Source of ideas Many/all Co-creators
Understanding of conflict
Conflict is bad
Conflict is inherent
Values
Manipulative Solely economic Short-term oriented
Ethical, transparency, and participation Balancing economic, ecologic and social, short-term and long term oriented
Challenge
Short sighted project outcome, Overburdening not accepted Slow decision processes No sustainable solutions Stop of project Under ambitious project outcomes
Proposition: Adequate stakeholder management methods are required to build up complexity but also reduce complexity to the amount adequate for the project.
Systemic Methods Systemic methods examine systems and models which work in our unconscious mind. The aim is to be explicit about the inner ‘stakeholder landscape’ – and point to improvements. Widespread in family therapy - and also used to solve organisation and management issues. Stakeholder analysis can be made in more ways, with blocks (Systemic Board) or with humans (Systemic Constellation). Emotional involvement (low, mid, high, very high) – based on type of method.
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Overview of Systemic Methods
Systemic methods (further developed after Kopp 2013: 14 Off)
Case Study Project: Planning The West Link
Characteristics and Context Long term “project”, 20 billions Swedish Kroner (200 million Euros), large Context: other investments City development West Swedish Package (Infrastructure) Westlink very visible to public! Political issues, car toll for raising funds Communication: Part of the city development Infrastructure only Still need for integrating for example, city administration, operator of stations and others…to have design follow service
Summary
Contact:
[email protected]