Operational reliability in complex temporary organizations

The complex interconnectivity characterizing a temporary organization (TO) increases the risk of adverse work situations emerging in unexpected ways. In TOs operating in a high-hazard environment - here referred to as complex temporary organizations (CTOs) - this may lead to disastrous consequences. Still many CTOs do not experience disasters. This paper makes the organizational patterns in these CTOs its primary concern. It presents the results of an exploratory cross-sectoral empirical study involving five CTOs. It takes a special interest in inter-organizational resilience as a capability complementary to rules and risk management to sustain operational reliability in CTOs. Operational reliability is viewed from the perspective of collaboration complexity, grouped into three categories: (1) heterogeneous collaboration, (2) temporal interconnectivity, and (3) coping with unexpected events. Comparison between CTOs revealed similarities but also a number of differences in perceptions and strategies which offer opportunities for cross-sectoral learning.