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Management of the Informal by Situational Project Management

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Innovation Management by Promoting the Informal

Abstract

The design approach “situational project management” developed for management of the informal is directed at dynamic and flexible project control, where the characteristics of innovation work are considered in particular. It focuses on research and development processes in an innovative company for measurement and control technology. The networked innovation processes are characterized by cooperation with partnered companies and research institutions from the local region. This chapter describes the manner in which innovation processes of the company can be continuously promoted and developed further using situational project management in the dimensions of goal definition, scheduling, the type of procedure and type of control.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For her support concerning the empirical investigation and the preparation of the results I like to thank Franziska Markert.

  2. 2.

    The analysis of a comparison of management texts from the 1960s and 1990s provides an empirical basis for the investigation cited. With respect to the number of references to the texts investigated, the “logique industrielle” (industrial logic) in both timeframes – though with a downward trend – takes first place while references to a “logique de réseau” (network logic) have increased considerably and climbed from fifth place in the 1960s to second place in the 1990s (Boltanski and Chiapello 1999, pp. 204, 643–662).

  3. 3.

    A survey of 44 networks provided information on the importance of management instruments deployed, whereupon the highest priority was given to project management (Stadlbauer et al. 2007, p. 264–267).

  4. 4.

    MessTech is an anonymized designation. The names of the projects used below and the companies cooperating with MessTech have also been anonymized.

  5. 5.

    The financial crisis, which began to unfold in the second half of 2008, was particularly responsible for project disruptions. This led some of the companies cooperating with MessTech to cancel or temporarily discontinue innovative project activities. Some of the innovation projects, which were interrupted, were reactivated at the end of 2010/beginning of 2011.

  6. 6.

    This quotation and the subsequent ones have been gleaned from the empirical investigations in the KES-MI project.

  7. 7.

    “Jugend forscht” (youth research) is a German youth science competition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung e.V. (ISF) München, Jakob-Klar-Straße 9, 80796, München, Deutschland

    Eckhard Heidling

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  1. Eckhard Heidling
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Correspondence to Eckhard Heidling .

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  1. Philosophisch-Sozialwissenschaftliche Fa, Sozioökonomie der Arbeits- und Berufswel, Universität Augsburg, Eichleitnerstraße 30 2, Augsburg, 86159, Germany

    Fritz Böhle

  2. Philosophisch-Sozialwissenschaftliche Fa, Sozioökonomie der Arbeits- und Berufswel, Universität Augsburg, Eichleitnerstraße 30 2, Augsburg, 86159, Germany

    Markus Bürgermeister

  3. ISF München e.V., Jakob-Klar-Str. 9, Munich, Germany

    Stephanie Porschen

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Heidling, E. (2012). Management of the Informal by Situational Project Management. In: Böhle, F., Bürgermeister, M., Porschen, S. (eds) Innovation Management by Promoting the Informal. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28015-3_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28015-3_5

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