ABSTRACT
Title: How Diversity Influences the Work Process in Cooperation Projects
Author: Sofia M Westerberg
Supervisors: Marie Aurell, Marie Hemming
Department: School of Management, Blekinge Institute of Technology
Course: Master’s thesis in Business Administration, 10 credits
Background: Cooperation beyond organizational boundaries becomes more necessary
because of the changing nature of the business environment. The project as a
form of organization is very well suited to carry out difficult tasks, not only
within organizations but also between them. This means that the traditional
view of looking at projects needs rethinking; there is a growing spectrum of
projects with wider objectives and a broader scope, which leads to a higher
degree of complexity and uncertainty.
Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to get a better understanding of how
diversity influences the work process in a cooperation project. Because the
cooperation project is becoming a more common phenomenon, it is interesting to
learn more about how diversity has an impact on its work processes and
characteristics. Hopefully this study can be one input to managers in making
decisions about if a task shall be carried out in a cooperation project group
or not, and if that should be the case, what implications this can have on the
project and its outcomes.
The research question is:
How can diversity influence the work process in a cooperation project?
Method: The thesis focuses on the development of the work process in a
cooperation project, where the participants come from different organizations,
and where there is a high degree of diversity. This is done through a
literature review, observations and interviews.
Theory: The theories are about cooperation projects, negotiation in small
groups, uncertainty and complexity in projects and factors of diversity that
influence the process; interests, conflicting interest, objectives,
motivational orientation and trust. The FIRO-theory of group development
(Fundamental Interpersonal Relationship Motivational orientation, Schutz 1989)
is also used.
Analysis: First a literature study was carried out and then methodologies were
chosen.
The analysis was made from observations and interviews and carried out on three
levels; the individual level, the group level and the organizational level.
First I looked at each individual’s own role and behaviour in the group,
secondly and thirdly, the organizations´ own interests, objectives as well as
the group’s interests, etc, were considered. The factors of diversity
(interests, objectives, orientation and trust) were systemized and analyzed in
relation to the three levels of analysis and then discussed in connection to
the literature. The findings were combined with the work process and
development phases of groups to see how this is influenced by the diversity.
Conclusion:
The diversity which exists in a cooperation project influences the work process
in a number of ways. The findings in this study point to a number of issues.
The diversity makes the group development phases more complex than in a
traditional project. The two first phases of group development in the work
process will probably take longer time. The work process is also more sensitive
and steps back in development phases are more common than in a traditional
project. Either development of trust takes longer time or only so called “swift
trust” will develop. There are more environmental factors that influence the
project. Because of the diversity, the formal positions of the representatives
in the group become more important. Possible ways of handling the diversity are
a general group assignment instead of a concrete objective and a delegated
responsibility from the management to the project group.
Two new forms of motivational orientation of group members were observed during
this study. One form I have called “Changing motivational orientation”. The
other form of motivational orientation I have named “More than cooperative”. In
“Changing motivational orientation”, some of the members in the group turned
from one motivational orientation to another one during the scope of the
project. In being “More than cooperative” the members see the group’s
assignment as the most important task.
The study also shows that the so called “claiming-creation dilemma” (Schei and
Rognes, 2005) is not always applicable. Not all the pa...
