Appropriate persistence in a project: The case of the Wine Culture and Tourism Centre in Bordeaux

摘要

Some authors view persistence as a negative attribute linked to the escalation of commitment, whilst others argue that perseverance is crucial to innovation. This paper seeks to explore the conditions in which persistence can be considered an appropriate strategy in the development of a project. To this end, we performed a qualitative and longitudinal study on the plan to open a Wine Culture and Tourism Centre in Bordeaux. The idea was first put forward in 1995 and, after experiencing a number of failures, the centre is now expected to open in 2016. We show that persistence can make sense: (1) if an emblematic leader makes the project a strategic priority and is able to command a consensus among the various stakeholders, (2) if the external environment changes and new choice opportunities emerge to revive the project, and (3) if the project marks a break with the past and is shored up by the success of similar projects. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.