Strategizing for anticipated risks and turbulence in large-scale engineering projects

摘要

Large-scale engineering projects face an increasingly turbulent environment, which limits the validity of traditional planning approaches. Using the grounded theorising method, based on 60 project cases, we elaborate a conceptual framework for project strategic systems. Based on the distinction between anticipated but uncertain risks, and unexpected events produced by environ- mental turbulence, we develop the notions of system robustness and, respectively, governability. By comparing the features and performance of three common types of project, we show that achieving high project performance requires strategic systems that are both robust with respect to anticipated risks and governable in the face of disruptive events.