Project work as a locus of learning: The journey through practice

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Project work as a locus of learning The journey
through practice
Harry Scarbrough and Jacky Swan
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ikon (Innovation, Knowledge and Organizational
Networks)

• Networked research centre - Warwick UK, Leicester
  UK, Bentley Boston USA, Brazil
• People
• Founders Jacky, Sue Newell, Harry Scarbrough,
  Maxine Robertson, Mike Bresnen
• 6 researchers
• Activities
• Funded research projects
• Knowledge and Innovation Network (KIN)
• http//users.wbs.ac.uk/group/ikon

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ESRCs Evolution of Business Knowledge (EBK)
programme

• Duration 2002-2007
• 14 projects funded
• EBK web-site www.ebkresearch.org
• Four major themes
• Management knowledge in action
• Organizing knowledge for innovation
• The impact of relationships on the sharing of
  knowledge
• Making knowledge an asset

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Introduction some definitions

• Increased reliance of project-based organization
• Project teams as locus of organizational learning
  (Edmondson, 2002)
• Project-based learning (PBL) the creation and
  acquisition of knowledge within projects the
  transfer of knowledge to other parts of the
  organization (De Fillippi Arthur, 1998)
• i.e. learning within learning from

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Introduction

• Evidence on PBL ambivalent
• projects generate significant learning (e.g.
  Ayas Zeniuk, 2001)
• organizations fail to learn from projects (e.g.
  Prencipe and Tell, 2001) re-invent the wheel
  (Prusak, 1997)

Macro studies e.g. dynamic capabilities Zollo
Winter, 2002 Learning from projects (Hansen,
2002)
?
Micro studies - individuals theory in use
(Argyris Schon,1978) - learning within projects
(Huber, 1999)
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Theoretical Background

• Situated, practice-based nature of knowledge and
  learning (e.g. Orlikowski, 2002 Gherardi et al,
  1998)
• Learning - aggregation of localised reflection
  and action (Edmondson, 2002)
• Contribution of practice-based perspectives
• Learning as both individual and collective
• Divisions of practice establish boundaries to the
  acquisition sharing of knowledge
• it is at divisions of practice where knowledge
  sticks (Brown Duguid, 2001)
• Knowledge boundaries Carlile, 2002, 2004
• Syntactic (transfer), Semantic (translation)
  Pragmatic (transformation)
• Neutral position learning not inherently
  positive

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Implications of projects for learning

• Characteristics of projects
• Involve transfer of people from organizational
  roles into a specific task setting
• Require the development of new practices to
  address tasks
• Produce deliverables within a time constraint
• Repeat / novel (Edmondson, 2002)
• Implications for learning
• Temporally and organizationally discontinuous
  with the wider organization (Sahlin-Andersson
  2002)
• Encompasses multiple forms of knowledge and
  learning
• Embodied embedded process content
  incremental radical
• Does not happen smoothly or directly (Ekstedt et
  al, 1999)
• Seamless learning spiral (cf. Nonaka Teece
  Zollo Winter) highly questionable

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PBL Study

• Research team Mike Bresnen, Linda Edelman,
  Stephane Laurent, Sue Newell, Harry Scarbrough,
  Jacky Swan
• 6 collaborating organizations in the UK
• Biosciences, Construction, Automotive,
  Utilities, Mail Services, Hospital.
• 2 projects in each
• Product development, process reengineering,
  construction
• Longitudinal cases (case project)
• 120 interviews, on site visits
• Quantitative survey of PBL (in 2 orgs)

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Case example 1 Thurstone Project at BuildCo

• Construction of logistics warehouse (6 months)
• Repeat project but built on contaminated
  brownfield site
• With Buildco it is a little mundane it is
  shed, shed, shed
• Project practices organized around functional
  specialisation
• Tender sub-team co-located in HQ
• Site sub-team under Site Manager
• Completed 4 weeks ahead of deadline

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Learning within Project

• Spurious learning effect
• We were lucky to get a 26 week programme, so we
  knew we could shave off at least two or three
  weeks anyway. (Site agent)
• Failure to learn between tender site team
• I dont know how it relates to the tender team
  I dont know if they know much about what is on
  the ground. Well they didnt know on this job
  anyway (Site engineer)
• Learning associated with associated with
  deviations from standard or mistakes
• If we have a major problem everybody knows about
  it, but we may be doing something really superbly
  well and have some new idea and we dont
  necessarily spread the word. We say bad news
  travels fast and good news never. (Planning
  Manager, Tender team)

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Learning from project

• Lack of learning across sites
• every site runs like its own little business
• Knowledge learning channelled through functions
  
• there is no official mechanism for the transfer
  of information at any stage between jobs at site
  level, only at senior level (Engineering
  manager)
• Emphasis on incremental learning
  standardization
• it is not developing new knowledge in the form
  of non-standard knowledge but developing
  knowledge needed to standardise (Regional
  Manager)

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Case Example 2 OSPHC Project at Health

• One Stop Paediatric Hip Clinic Project (14
  months)
• Developmental dysplasia of the hip
• Novel project initiated by consultant
  paediatrician
• Project practices organized around
  cross-professional team
• 2 transformation team members plus ward clerks,
  consultant paediatrician, nursery nurses,
  sonographer, assoc paediatrics specialist,
  information services rep.
• Outcomes - patient visits reduced from 3 to 1,
  overall cost savings est _at_ 16K, improved patient
  satisfaction

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Treatment Pavlik Harness (less than 6 months)
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Learning within project

• High commitment to reflection learning
• everybody right from me to the doctor were
  involved, so therefore things that perhaps would
  have gone wrong were already discussed and ironed
  out (Ward Clerk)
• Effort in overcoming professional knowledge/
  practice boundaries
• New identity as inter-professional clinical team
  (OSH)
• E.g. new agreed protocol for (cross) professional
  practice within clinics training of junior
  doctors
• Facilitated by powerful professional consultant
• it is a bit too successful in a way. We have got
  the really big clinics and they are way ahead
  (Ward Clerk)

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Learning from project

• Captured as good practice content process
• External communication via website sharing
  experience days
• Flurry of interest but (as yet) little evidence
  of take up in other regional trusts/ hospitals
• E.g. failure of similar process in other contexts
  (Orthopaedics Renal clinic at different
  hospital)
• Star envy (cf. Walton, 1975)
• As professionals struggle to maintain sense of
  professional power, competence identity

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Novel projects e.g. OSPHC
Routine projects e.g.
Thurstone
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Theory development Learning Boundaries

• Knowledge boundaries (Carlile, 2002, 2004)
  address problems of sharing knowledge across
  divisions of practice (e.g. functional groups)
  within projects
• Sign. learning generated by overcoming knowledge
  boundaries produce new shared practices at
  project level
• BUT new practices reinforce divisions between
  project practices and practices elsewhere in the
  organization
• thus limiting learning from projects
• Learning boundaries address the transfer of
  learning from projects to other parts of the
  organization
• Learning boundary - a boundary to learning which
  is itself a product of learning.

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Major Findings

• Highlights simultaneous positive and negative
  effects of learning
• Highlights nested nature of learning.
• Learning occurs at several different but
  interrelated levels at the same time (Levinthal
  and March 1993100).
• Learning at one level may substitute for learning
  at another
• Learning at one level (e.g. within projects) may
  also inhibit learning at another level (e.g. from
  projects to organization)
• Highlights the political nature of learning
• Knowledge as invested in practice
• Trade-offs between organizational project
  (local) interests
• Problems around de-institutionalization of
  practice

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Project Based Learning
Organizational knowledge
Organizational practices
Learning boundaries
Learning from
Learning within
Functional specialisation Routines
Project practices
Boundary spanning Novelty