When Conventional Methods Fail: Institutional Bricolage as a Research Strategy

Abstract

This article explores the methodological challenges that face scholars conducting project management research in empirical contexts characterized by apparent institutional voids in which conventional methodological approaches are inadequate. Drawing from our collaborative fieldwork conducted for the Medina Airport public–private partnership in Saudi Arabia, we make three contributions to the project management literature. First, we conceptualize field access in terms of a research strategy entailing processes of bricolaging available resources. Second, we develop strategies to operationalize theoretical concepts in contexts in which there is limited prior research. Third, we propose guidelines for conducting rigorous qualitative research in institutional environments lacking mature and established research cultures. This article provides important methodological and practical insights for project management researchers conducting empirical work in such contexts for generating robust data and knowledge that advance project management research and practice.