Aligning the practices of the permanent with those of the temporary

Paper in proceeding, 2009

Aligning the permanent structures of the organisation with the temporary organising of practices and operational activities in projects is a challenge for the construction industry. A prevalent lack of fit between the organisation and its projects causes tensions which negatively affect the way in which long-term environmental strategies and goals are understood and implemented in the project settings. Using the results from a qualitative interview study as an illustrative example, this paper highlights discrepancies between the organisational and social mechanisms that influence the interplay between environmental management and project management practices. Findings show that both research and practice amplify existing in-built tensions between environmental management and project management rather than mitigating them. As a result different units within organisations strive toward diverging goals and foci. Informed by recent reviews of the literature within the two areas of study, it is argued that top management needs to join forces with project management to create arenas where members from the two units can align and join forces.