Participants from 175 different Norwegian projects described the organizational cultures of both their most recent projects and their organizations. Their descriptions are based on a typology distinguishing between power, role, task, and person cultures, as outlined and developed in Harrison (1972) and Handy (1986). This study demonstrates that projects are more task culture-oriented than their base organizations. Further, hierarchical elements of the project must be eliminated for a project to move closer to the prevalent task culture. A stronger task orientation improves the chances of staying within the project budget.
AtkinsonR. (1999). Project management: Cost, time and quality, two best guesses and a phenomenon, it's time to accept other success criteria. International Journal of Project Management, 17(6), 337–342.
FirthG., & KrutR. (1991). Introducing a Project Management Culture. European Management Journal, 9(4), 437–443.
8.
GrahamR. J. (1987). Project management as if people mattered.Bala Cynwyd, PA: Primavera Press.
9.
HandyC. (1986). Gods of management.London: Souvenir Press.
10.
HarrisonR. (1972). Understanding your organization's character. Harvard Business Review50(3), 119–128.
11.
LimC. S., & MohamedM. Z. (1999). Criteria of project success: an exploratory re-examination. International Journal of Project Management, 17(4), 243–248.
12.
PintoJ. K., & SlevinD. P. (1987). Critical factors in successful project implementation. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 34(1), 22–27.
13.
QuinnR. E., & McGrathM. R. (1985). The transformation of organizational cultures: A competing values perspective. In FrostP.J., MooreL.F., LouisM.R., LundbergC.C., & MartinJ. (Eds.), Organizational culture (315–334). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
14.
ScheinE. H. (1985). Organizational culture and leadership.San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
15.
ScholzC. (1987). Corporate culture and strategy - The problem of strategic fit. Long Range Planning, 20(4), 78–87.
16.
TrompenaarsF., & Hampden-TurnerC. (1997). Riding the waves of culture.London: Nicholas Brearley.
