Abstract
Jörg Sydow, "Path Dependences in Project-Based Organizing: Evidence from
Television Production in Germany,” Journal of Media Business Studies, 6(4):
123-139 (2009).
Key Words: project management, path dependence, inertia, flexibility, television
Project-based organizing is sometimes seen as a panacea against strategic persistence
and structural inertia. This paper argues that, due to stable relations and timeworn
routines in particular, these persistencies also arise in project organizations, even within
project networks and project ecologies, which are often considered even more flexible
forms of project-based organizing. Taking the example of the German Television industry,
the paper shows that some of these persistencies may even amount to path
dependencies that are quite contradictory from an economic perspective. While it seems
highly efficient to follow and exploit an organizational path chosen, this very path may also
lead to a lock-in.
Jörg Sydow, "Path Dependences in Project-Based Organizing: Evidence from
Television Production in Germany,” Journal of Media Business Studies, 6(4):
123-139 (2009).
Key Words: project management, path dependence, inertia, flexibility, television
Project-based organizing is sometimes seen as a panacea against strategic persistence
and structural inertia. This paper argues that, due to stable relations and timeworn
routines in particular, these persistencies also arise in project organizations, even within
project networks and project ecologies, which are often considered even more flexible
forms of project-based organizing. Taking the example of the German Television industry,
the paper shows that some of these persistencies may even amount to path
dependencies that are quite contradictory from an economic perspective. While it seems
highly efficient to follow and exploit an organizational path chosen, this very path may also
lead to a lock-in.
