Effect of Relational Characteristics on Management of Wind Farm Interorganizational Construction Projects

Abstract

There are many studies on interorganizational projects (IOPs). Nonetheless, only a small portion of the literature examines the relationships among the different participants. This study investigates how relational characteristics influence the success of wind power generation projects. To do so, five relational characteristics were considered: interdependence, intermediation relations, collaborative relations, control of relations, and volume of relations. The research adopted a single case study approach of a wind power generation project in the Brazilian electricity industry. The results showed the positive effect of relational characteristics on overcoming obstacles that emerged during implementation and thus on the success of interorganizational projects in similar contexts. Implications for management include the importance of broadening the responsibilities of engineers and managers of large projects to extend to the management of relations. New skill sets may be required, including interorganization communication and trust; process integration coordination through synchronizing collaborative activities, information, and decisions; and understanding of interorganizational complexity. For the effective coordination of the project network, actors must have both social and technical legitimacy.