Projectification of Organizations, Governance and Societies: Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Implications

This book is about projectification – a concept that captures the increasing reliance on “the project” in contemporary societies, governance and economies. Despite its significance, this development and transformation, not only of public and private organizations but also our working environment and way of living, has received little scholarly attention compared to other major societal movements. Since its conceptualization in 1995 the phenomena of projectification has grown in scope, and researchers beyond management and organization studies have argued for and applied a broader and critical perspective to what projects are and how we are to understand the term. This volume gathers researchers who critically examine the function and effects of “the project”, and analyzes the logic, politics, discursive practices and contexts of projectification. The book consolidates this research field by illustrating theoretical perspectives on, and empirical implications of, projectification.It also highlights the need for more research, and provides encouragements for other disciplines to scrutinize this phenomenon from other perspectives.

Mats Fred is Associate Senior Lecturer in Public Administration at the Department of Political Science, Lund University, Sweden

Sebastian Godenhjelm is University Lecturer in Political Science and Public Management at the Swedish School of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland