Achieving Project Success in Organizations Operating Under Extreme Resource Scarcity: An Exploration of the Use of Bricolage in Social Enterprises

  Leadership   Organizational Project Management   Resource Management  

Achieving successful project outcomes is especially difficult in environments with extreme resource scarcity. The PMI-funded study Achieving Project Success in Organizations Operating under Extreme Resource Scarcity: An Exploration of the Use of Bricolage in Social Enterprises explored this issue, focusing specifically on bricolage—“making do with what is at hand.”

Social Enterprises
Social enterprises are business that sell goods and services; embed a social, cultural, or environmental purpose into the business; and reinvest the majority of profits into their social mission.

For example, Grameen Bank, a microfinance institution founded in Bangladesh that extends small loans to rural individuals without the need for collateral; and Greystone Bakery in the United States, which offers employment opportunities to individuals facing obstacles like homelessness or criminal records (Source: Buy Social Canada).

Bricolage in Project Management
In project management, bricolage involves rearranging resources to tackle immediate challenges. Projects often need quick action, and bricolage helps address resource shortages by repurposing overlooked or underused human, financial, or physical resources. It also involves creatively using local resources.

For example, in our study, when a social enterprise couldn't schedule a contractor for building repairs, …

Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.