Attention Please! : A Study of Non-Technical Challenges when Scaling Greenfield Projects

Purpose - This study examines the non-technical challenges (NTCs) that emerge when scalinggreenfield projects, how decision-makers allocate their attention to these challenges, and whichchallenges receive disproportionate attention relative to their perceived importance throughoutthe scaling process. Method - This study is an exploratory single case study of a Swedish mining company. The datacollection was conducted in three phases. First, 16 exploratory interviews were conducted andthematically analyzed to identify NTCs that emerge when scaling a greenfield project. Second,the Delphi method was used to assess the perceived importance of these challenges forsuccessful scaling. Third, the Q-method was applied to explore how decision-makers allocatetheir attention to these challenges. Finally, the findings were synthesized and analyzed using amatrix framework. Findings - Our findings are divided into three parts. First, we present 33 NTCs in scalinggreenfield projects, categorized into organizational, market, and financial dimensions, withorganizational NTCs being the most prominent. Second, we analyze how attention is allocatedacross project phases, showing that organizational NTCs dominate early on, while market andfinancial NTCs gain importance later. Finally, we highlight misalignments between perceivedimportance and attention among decision-makers, and offer a framework to guide effectiveprioritization throughout the scaling process. Theoretical implications - While prior research emphasizes the challenges associated withscaling, organizations often prioritize technical challenges (TCs), despite evidence that failuresare frequently driven by NTCs. Using the ABV, which conceptualizes attention as a limitedorganizational resource, we argue that it is not sufficient for companies to merely identify NTCs,they must also allocate adequate attention to them. Our framework contributes theoretically byidentifying which NTCs decision-makers focus on, how important these challenges are perceivedto be, and where discrepancy occurs between attention allocation and perceived importance.Special consideration is given to differences between individuals with formal and informaldecision-making authority. Practical implications - This study offers practical insights into how attention is allocated toNTCs during the scaling of a greenfield project. Building on the ABV, we show that attention islimited and must be directed strategically. Our findings reveal misalignments between formaland informal decision-makers, especially in key organizational areas such as communication,onboarding, and work overload. These issues risk being overlooked at the strategic level. The APframework helps organizations visualize attention patterns, improve alignment, and ensure focusis placed where it matters most for successful scaling. Limitations and future research - This study contributes to the understanding of NTCs in thecontext of scaling greenfield projects, however, it is subject to several limitations, including itssingle-case study design, the participants’ limited experience within greenfield contexts, and theindependent nature of one data collection phase, which may have introduced self-assessmentbiases. Moreover, while the study highlights which NTCs attract managerial attention, it does notinvestigate how these NTCs are addressed in practice. Future research should therefore explorehow attention-attracting challenges are managed and resolved, ideally across multiple cases andindustries, to enhance the generalizability and practical applicability of the findings.