Project orientation and innovativeness within knowledge-intensive business services in Central and Eastern Europe

Purpose: This paper investigates how project-oriented structures enhance organizational innovativeness in technology-based, knowledge-intensive business service (T-KIBS) firms in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). By focusing on how and why project orientation stimulates innovation, the study addresses a gap in project theory within innovation research. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach was adopted, involving 22 semi- structured interviews with senior management, project leaders, and innovation managers in T-KIBS companies operating in CEE. Data were collected during the third and fourth quarters of 2018 and analyzed using both categorization and thematic analysis. Findings: Results indicate a positive association between project orientation and higher levels of innovativeness, driven by four distinguishing project characteristics: uniqueness, autonomy, co-production, and transcendence. The study proposes a conceptual model that identifies 13 potential moderators of this relationship, including management support, leadership style, strategic planning, control mechanisms, employee competences, cross-functional teams, staff engagement, client involvement, inter-project collaboration, internal reporting systems, accessible information, risk tolerance, and an overall willingness to innovate. Originality/value: This research advances both project management and innovation theory by introducing a framework that connects project-based organizing with firm-level innovativeness in the T-KIBS sector. From a theoretical perspective, the findings highlight the significance of industry-specific contexts, suggesting that unique sectoral conditions can shape project management practices and, in turn, drive innovation outcomes. Keywords: project, project-based organisation, innovativeness, KIBS. Category of the paper: Research paper.