Loose, fragmented project arrangements – some implications for practitioners

The information age poses challenges for the contemporary project structure. Conventional projects are designed according to a logic model that recognizes a specialization of task and function (e.g., design, develop, implement) with the necessary levels of authority and supervision being vested in the project manager position to realize the project goal. However, more and more such a logic model does not fully reflect the project reality as messy, ambiguous and fragmented (Cicmil 2006). How does this suggested messiness affect the project structure and, as practitioners, are there implications concerning how we manage projects? These are themes that are explored in this paper. The paper is based on a pilot case study that was completed in 2012 as part of a DBA programme carried out in DCU Business School, Dublin City University, Ireland.