What happens when we see collaboration from different perspectives? A multi perspective on micro-processes in large construction project organisations

Construction management research lacks individual-level analyses of what happens in practice in large construction projects, especially when basing collaboration on Lean principles. Despite the interest in predicting and controlling project processes, knowledge about the social complexity of Lean-structured projects is missing, just as the practical implications of Lean thinking on project collaboration is unexplored. To fill this gap and learn more about the implications of a Lean approach to construction project collaboration, this single-case ethnographic study of a large EUR 200 million renovation project brings to light important aspects of the social complexity affecting construction project collaboration. The study shows that although Lean fosters a degree of stability in a dynamic environment to the collaboration practices, complete control is not possible as multiple social aspects of project collaboration easily collide, deterring project progress. The study contributes to the project management research field seeing the project as a temporary organisation with a multi-theoretical metaphor approach and shows how the combination of metaphors will provide novel insights into construction project collaboration.