Project identity formation and maintenance in a temporary organization environment

This dissertation emphasizes that managing a multiplicity of projects by project organizations has become a challenge, even though projects have been an effective way of handling business in the construction industry. The rise of relational contracts and integrated project deliveries has raised the potential for great innovations and improvements in performance for the whole project. This dissertation acknowledges that project identification and commitment to joint project goals play vital roles in delivering projects successfully. That is, the creation and maintenance of a project identity aim to get project stakeholders to be committed and, more importantly, to attract the best talent to execute the project. However, this current study presents a framework for how project organizations form project identity at the project development stage and maintain them throughout the project execution period.
This research focused on five construction projects within Finland, such as Tripla by YIT, the Western Metro underground excavation project, the Oulu Energia Biopower Plant project, Pyhäjoki nuclear power plant, and the Oulu University Future Hospital Project (OYS 2030). The aim is to create project identity and maintenance and describe the essential identity formation activities that the program management office, the project director, and together with the project management team need to undertake in the early phases of construction projects and during the project execution process.
The findings of this dissertation suggest that project management should make project identity formation and maintenance a deliberate management action throughout the project life cycle. The results also show that identity creation and maintenance begin early in the project development phase and naturally evolve and are maintained throughout the course of the project's execution.