Organizational Improvisation in Contracting Firms: A Capability for Overcoming the Project Complexities

Abstract

There is a need of competence for open creativity, intuition, sense of urgency, and flexibility for adaptation to changes, and risk perception in order to create a resilient project management approach in complex project environments of construction industry. In this regard, organizational improvisation (OI) merging intuition, creativity, and bricolage help managers to understand and analyze complex and dynamic organizational decisions and actions. The purpose of this research is to introduce a model investigating the influence of OI as an organizational ability through complexity framework. The research involves a questionnaire survey administered to contracting firms on OI constructs in complex project environments. The research provides details on how contracting firms can deploy intuition and improvisation, and examine the role that organizations play in this process. Research findings prove that OI potentially helps contracting firms to adapt unexpected changes and take action in dynamic project environments.