Making sense of an innovation in a safety-critical megaproject

Kirsi Aaltonen (Corresponding Author), Nadezhda Gotcheva, Jaakko Kujala, Karlos Artto

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

    Abstract

    Purpose: In megaprojects, changes in scope and organization may occur continuously. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how actors in a project network make sense of a safety-related process innovation introduced during the design phase. Design/methodology/approach: An inductive single case study of an ongoing nuclear power plant project in Europe was employed to elucidate sensemaking processes using a narrative approach. Findings: The empirical analysis yielded nine distinct narratives regarding the innovation each advancing a different account of the rationale for implementing the new method, and the subjects, objects and implications of the change. The findings suggest that actors’ differing framings of innovation may increase ambiguity and equivocality. Originality/value: These insights augment existing knowledge of innovation management and system safety in safety-critical megaprojects by revealing project actors’ discrepant sensemaking processes with regard to innovations. To successfully manage sensemaking and its consequences for innovation adoption, managers need to take account of any such discrepancies in sensemaking processes.
    Original languageEnglish
    Number of pages23
    JournalInternational Journal of Managing Projects in Business
    DOIs
    Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 14 Nov 2019
    MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

    Fingerprint

    Safety
    Innovation
    Sensemaking
    Innovation adoption
    Process innovation
    Management of innovation
    Empirical analysis
    Nuclear power plant
    Rationale
    Systems of innovation
    Equivocality
    Design methodology
    Project network
    Discrepancy
    Managers

    Keywords

    • Change
    • Innovation management
    • Megaprojects
    • Project networks

    Cite this

    Aaltonen, Kirsi ; Gotcheva, Nadezhda ; Kujala, Jaakko ; Artto, Karlos. / Making sense of an innovation in a safety-critical megaproject. In: International Journal of Managing Projects in Business. 2019.
    @article{e663d9618e7e4d3b868811534433c013,
    title = "Making sense of an innovation in a safety-critical megaproject",
    abstract = "Purpose: In megaprojects, changes in scope and organization may occur continuously. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how actors in a project network make sense of a safety-related process innovation introduced during the design phase. Design/methodology/approach: An inductive single case study of an ongoing nuclear power plant project in Europe was employed to elucidate sensemaking processes using a narrative approach. Findings: The empirical analysis yielded nine distinct narratives regarding the innovation each advancing a different account of the rationale for implementing the new method, and the subjects, objects and implications of the change. The findings suggest that actors’ differing framings of innovation may increase ambiguity and equivocality. Originality/value: These insights augment existing knowledge of innovation management and system safety in safety-critical megaprojects by revealing project actors’ discrepant sensemaking processes with regard to innovations. To successfully manage sensemaking and its consequences for innovation adoption, managers need to take account of any such discrepancies in sensemaking processes.",
    keywords = "Change, Innovation management, Megaprojects, Project networks",
    author = "Kirsi Aaltonen and Nadezhda Gotcheva and Jaakko Kujala and Karlos Artto",
    year = "2019",
    month = "11",
    day = "14",
    doi = "10.1108/IJMPB-03-2019-0060",
    language = "English",
    journal = "International Journal of Managing Projects in Business",
    issn = "1753-8378",
    publisher = "Emerald Publishing Limited",

    }

    Aaltonen, K, Gotcheva, N, Kujala, J & Artto, K 2019, 'Making sense of an innovation in a safety-critical megaproject', International Journal of Managing Projects in Business. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-03-2019-0060

    Making sense of an innovation in a safety-critical megaproject. / Aaltonen, Kirsi (Corresponding Author); Gotcheva, Nadezhda; Kujala, Jaakko; Artto, Karlos.

    In: International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 14.11.2019.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

    TY - JOUR

    T1 - Making sense of an innovation in a safety-critical megaproject

    AU - Aaltonen, Kirsi

    AU - Gotcheva, Nadezhda

    AU - Kujala, Jaakko

    AU - Artto, Karlos

    PY - 2019/11/14

    Y1 - 2019/11/14

    N2 - Purpose: In megaprojects, changes in scope and organization may occur continuously. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how actors in a project network make sense of a safety-related process innovation introduced during the design phase. Design/methodology/approach: An inductive single case study of an ongoing nuclear power plant project in Europe was employed to elucidate sensemaking processes using a narrative approach. Findings: The empirical analysis yielded nine distinct narratives regarding the innovation each advancing a different account of the rationale for implementing the new method, and the subjects, objects and implications of the change. The findings suggest that actors’ differing framings of innovation may increase ambiguity and equivocality. Originality/value: These insights augment existing knowledge of innovation management and system safety in safety-critical megaprojects by revealing project actors’ discrepant sensemaking processes with regard to innovations. To successfully manage sensemaking and its consequences for innovation adoption, managers need to take account of any such discrepancies in sensemaking processes.

    AB - Purpose: In megaprojects, changes in scope and organization may occur continuously. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how actors in a project network make sense of a safety-related process innovation introduced during the design phase. Design/methodology/approach: An inductive single case study of an ongoing nuclear power plant project in Europe was employed to elucidate sensemaking processes using a narrative approach. Findings: The empirical analysis yielded nine distinct narratives regarding the innovation each advancing a different account of the rationale for implementing the new method, and the subjects, objects and implications of the change. The findings suggest that actors’ differing framings of innovation may increase ambiguity and equivocality. Originality/value: These insights augment existing knowledge of innovation management and system safety in safety-critical megaprojects by revealing project actors’ discrepant sensemaking processes with regard to innovations. To successfully manage sensemaking and its consequences for innovation adoption, managers need to take account of any such discrepancies in sensemaking processes.

    KW - Change

    KW - Innovation management

    KW - Megaprojects

    KW - Project networks

    UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85075147943&partnerID=8YFLogxK

    U2 - 10.1108/IJMPB-03-2019-0060

    DO - 10.1108/IJMPB-03-2019-0060

    M3 - Article

    AN - SCOPUS:85075147943

    JO - International Journal of Managing Projects in Business

    JF - International Journal of Managing Projects in Business

    SN - 1753-8378

    ER -

    Aaltonen K, Gotcheva N, Kujala J, Artto K. Making sense of an innovation in a safety-critical megaproject. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business. 2019 Nov 14. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-03-2019-0060

    Access to Document