The Pragmatic Comportment Compass: Rethinking projectification in public sector projects
Article
| Article Title | The Pragmatic Comportment Compass: Rethinking projectification in public sector projects |
|---|---|
| ERA Journal ID | 213997 |
| Article Category | Article |
| Authors | Rowe, Kevan M., Whitty, Stephen Jonathan and Wheeldon, Anita Louise |
| Journal Title | Project Leadership and Society |
| Journal Citation | 5 |
| Article Number | 100152 |
| Number of Pages | 12 |
| Year | 2024 |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Place of Publication | Netherlands |
| ISSN | 2666-7215 |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2024.100152 |
| Web Address (URL) | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666721524000371 |
| Abstract | This study explores the relationship between public sector project managers and their organizations’ formal project management processes. Utilizing Heidegger’s concept of ‘practical comportment,’ we develop the ‘Pragmatic Comportment Compass,’ which identifies four primary modes of this relationship: to use, manipulate, circumvent, and suffer. Based on qualitative data from a focus group of nine experienced project managers in the Australian state government, our findings reveal a tendency to prioritize the public good over strict protocol adherence. This results in adaptive strategies that respond effectively to complex public service realities, ensuring project progress. Our findings challenge the conventional definition of projectification, proposing an alternative that emphasizes the importance of discretion and strategic flexibility. We align this alternative with the principles of street-level bureaucracy and contingency theory, highlighting the necessity for situational responsiveness and resilience in navigating the bureaucratic and procedural obstacles inherent in public sector projects. |
| Keywords | Public sector ; Projectification ; Heideggerian theory; Practical comportment; Street-level bureaucracy; Contingency theory |
| Related Output | |
| Is part of | Projectification as Permission: How Bodies of Knowledge Justify and Enable Project Managing as Discretion, Judgement and Ethical Action |
| Contains Sensitive Content | Does not contain sensitive content |
| ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 440708. Public administration |
| Public Notes | This article is part of a UniSQ Thesis by publication. See Related Output. |
| Byline Affiliations | School of Business |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/zq7w5/the-pragmatic-comportment-compass-rethinking-projectification-in-public-sector-projects
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