Responses to institutional complexity associated with safety requirements in a large nuclear industry project

Contemporary organizations are increasingly exposed to multiple institutional logics that prescribe differently what comprises acceptable goals and actions. The present study investigates responses to institutional complexity related to safety requirements in an international nuclear industry project. By adopting an in-depth inductive single case study, we approach a nuclear power plant project's organization as a project network. The findings reveal that multiple institutional logics co-exist in the project and in such a complex institutional setting the project actors draw on a broad response repertoire in an attempt to make sense of the change and craft an acceptable balance. Reconciling and aligning these different perceptions, logics and responses with a central focus on ensuring safety is one of the prevailing challenges from safety management and project governance perspectives.