Interorganizational Projects: Reexamining Innovation Implementation via IPD Cases

This study examines the architectural, engineering, and construction industry’s use of integrated project delivery (IPD) as an innovative method of planning, designing, and building construction projects via interorganizational teams. Recent evaluations of the IPD process via the lens of a promising integrative theoretical model of innovation implementation demonstrated the prevalence of communication behaviors and additional elements to existing climate and innovation value-fit constructs. To facilitate an improved understanding of the underlying drivers to innovation implementation in interorganizational project teams, this study aims to explore the elements leading to improved IPD implementation as an innovation and test the applicability of the modified innovation implementation model. This study undertakes a content analysis of an industry report and two unique IPD case studies (i.e., one failed and one successfully completed the IPD implementation case). The results provide support for the modifications to the existing innovation implementation model for interorganizational project teams and the applicability of the modified model in the context of IPD implementation as an innovation outlining the main contributions of this work to the body of knowledge. Results also point to coordination mechanisms, culture-fit, and several communication behaviors for IPD implementation.