Complex project conceptualization and the linguistic turn; the case of a small Australian construction company

• We explore why and how we use concepts to think.
• We draw on the work of McKenna and Metcalfe and the linguistic turn.
• We use idea mapping to categorize stakeholder statements.
• A case study of an Australian based organizational change project is presented.
• We find that the linguistic turn is useful for conceptualizing projects.

Conceptualizing complex projects, especially in the face of powerful communities of conflicting stakeholders can be messy. Doing so requires some means of coordinating the different ideas of stakeholders. The pragmatic cultural ethics summarized in the Australian ‘mate-ship’ argues success requires opportunity be given to all. This pragmatic philosophy provides the solution by offering all stakeholders the opportunity to be heard. After briefly reviewing pragmatism, this paper draws on the work of McKenna and Metcalfe and the linguistic turn, published in an earlier version of the International Journal of Project Management. It explains how this method can be used to help project managers conceive projects made complex by powerful communities of conflicting stakeholders. It then uses an Australian based organizational change project as an example of its application. Idea mapping is used to categorize stakeholder statements, revealing underlying linguistic concepts. It is argued that this approach provides a practical, yet philosophical and scientifically sound means of conceptualizing complex projects, and one that takes genuine advantage of the experience and knowledge of a wide range of stakeholders.