The P-form organization and the dynamics of project competence: Project epochs in Asea/ABB, 1950–2000

This paper links the evolution of the firm to the practice of project management based on a longitudinal, in-depth study of Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) over a period of more than fifty years. It is suggested that Asea/ABB is an example of a project-based firm, which, in a neo-Chandlerian vein, exhibits ‘P-form characteristics’. The analysis presented extends previous findings reported in the literature on firm-level capabilities by integrating the analyses of project competence and specifically the nature and emergence of so-called ‘project epochs’. We identify four project epochs in the history of Asea/ABB which represent different forms of project competence. In the analytical section, we focus on how ABB managed to shift epochs to enhance its project competence. The paper offers new insights into the characteristics and dynamic capabilities of P-form organizations.