Prosjektledelse nr. 1 2021 Norges eneste tidsskrift innen prosjektledelse | Page 5

PROJECTIFICATION

From their roots in traditional organizational models of engineering and industrial mass production , a myriad of project management frameworks have emerged over the last few decades ( Wysocki 2019 ). Spearheaded by the software development industry , new and agile approaches to project management which emphasize creativity and flexibility , have been widely popularized and adapted in a wide range of industries , including creative industries ( Petrović , Milićević , and Sofronijević 2017 ; Gustavsson 2019 ). Despite their increasing popularity and usage however , knowledge about the appropriateness of project management philosophies in creative industries is limited . This is all the more surprising considering that this sector is considered to be one of the most established `industries ’ when it comes to project-based , temporary organizational structures ( Lindgren and Packendorff 2007 ; Elstad and De Paoli 2014 ; Seymore and Coyle 2016 ).

Challenges Facing Creative Industries in the Era of Projectification The increasing use of `project ´ as a form of organization of work in both the private and public sector , also within creative industries , has made it possible to talk about a projectification of society ( Lundin 2017 ). Some have gone so far as to suggest that short-term , project-based and contractual models of organization observed in the creative industries are harbingers of the next `new economy ´ and could become the dominating organizational model for the broader , knowledge-based economy ( Barley and Kunda 2006 ; Arthur , DeFillippi , and Lindsay 2008 ). Since the creative industry is highlighted as a rapidly growing part of international labor markets ( Jesnes and Nergaard 2019 ) and play an increasing role for many countries ' value creation and attractiveness , it is necessary to improve our understanding of how these organizational and leadership models work alongside the problems they face ( Jones , Lorenzen , and Sapsed 2017 ; Elstad and De Paoli 2014 ). Existing research has identified a range of challenges facing the shift towards project based management . Take for example , a recent case study of a development project involving the introduction of new technologies in parts of the public sector in Norway . Through an analysis of this large-scale project , the researchers illustrate how implementation of increasingly standardized models for “ correct ” project management may defy its intended purpose .
The first planning documents we received was a pile of papers , a printout from MS Project ( Project software for large teams and complicated projects ). Everything in it was dependent on everything else and everything was described in every possible level of detail , and they ( the project managers ) had spent a lot of time on this . We ( employees and other stakeholders ) simply could not relate to it . [...] If there was a delay in one part of the project , then the whole plan would be delayed . And we said that we cannot relate to this . ( Kristiansen , Solem , and Dille 2019 , 38 ).
This quote pinpoints how choice of leadership style and project methodology affect the people involved in the project , with consequences for execution , productivity and outcome . Similar challenges have been observed in creative industries . Despite the limited existing literature within this field , one of the central themes to have emerged is that current project methodology and theory conflict with key distinctive features of projects . Pielichaty et al . ( 2017 ) describes
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