Understanding response to perturbations in collaborative projects from a complex generative and adaptive systems perspective

This paper proposes a framework for a collaborative environment formed by a University Research Centre (URC) in Project Studies and external organizations. The framework resulted from a literature review process enriched with empirical data from twenty-eight semi-structured interviews with academics, PhD candidates, and practitioners. The thematic analysis identified four macro-elements of the URC ecosystem: Project Studies; Impact Generation Process (Partners, Resources, Activities, Outputs, Outcomes, Impacts); Governance & Management and Circumstances; and Context, broken down into sixty elements, for the co-creation of knowledge in Project Studies. The study adds to the body of knowledge on Project Studies by proposing a "Ba" for the co-exploration and co-exploitation of the knowledge generated by academics and practitioners. Furthermore, it reinforces the importance of engaged scholarship and supports the proposal of more robust theories that lead, in practice, to better collaborative project performance.Continuity in collaborative projects may be affected by perturbations originated by unknown or unexpected situations. This research addresses the knowledge gap related to how teams effectively overcome disruptions in collaborative projects in order to reach resilience. The study explores the relationships amongst three interconnected constructs- equivocality, governance, and interorganizational learning- as key factors to be considered during perturbations. A systemic perspective using the lenses of complex adaptive and generative systems (complexity theory) has been approached. Using a cross-case analysis, the research's contribution is summarized through a model that offers explanations into how a successful case (the LOCUTIOS project) overcame effectively two instances of perturbations, within a high-uncertainty context. The model proposes two different reaction patterns, characterized by different learning behaviours (adaptive or generative), governance approaches (complementarity or substitution), and role of equivocality (driver or barrier) to knowledge exploration. Highlights of various forms of resilience within collaborative projects when unknown unknowns arise were exposed.