Reimagining claim management in abandoned project closeouts: a theory of learned imperfections-as-practice

Purpose Project closeouts are highly vulnerable to abandonment, often giving rise to complex intersubjective claims that traditional, perfection-oriented project management approaches cannot adequately resolve. These shortcomings intensify stakeholder insecurities and foster learned helplessness, creating a critical gap in both theory and practice regarding the effective management of claims in abandoned project closeouts. This study seeks to address this gap by developing a novel theoretical framework grounded in imperfect project management thinking, fundamentally reimagining claim management as a shift from confrontational deadlock to a collaborative and productive process. Design/methodology/approach This study utilizes a multi-method approach for data collection and expert selection, including an “abandoned project closeout” case study, unstructured interviews and analysis of archival documents. Employing “theoretical coupling” as its primary analytical mechanism, this study synthesizes disparate theoretical lenses to construct a robust, practice-grounded theory, ensuring both analytic generalization and profound conceptual relevance. Findings The analysis reveals a tripartite typology of project closeout modes, namely, graceful, transitional and regressive. The regressive mode is characterized by a vicious cycle wherein procedural imperfections in contract law generate “backlogged claims”, which in turn induce a state of learned helplessness among stakeholders. To break this cycle, the study proposes a novel “forgiveness-seeking clean-up” model, structured around four actionable zones. The findings further highlight distinctive claim management processes inherent to abandoned closeouts, including the intersubjective identification of backlogged claims, the valuation of non-economic imperfections and hybrid resolutions that integrate both economic and non-economic considerations. Originality/value The contributions of this study are fourfold viz.: (1) this research presents the first empirical investigation applying an imperfections-as-practice-based case study in the context of abandoned project closeouts, offering novel insights into claim management, (2) it innovates methodologically by applying “theoretical coupling” as a tool for literature integration and theory building, (3) this proposes a practical, forgiveness-seeking clean-up model with four actionable zones to resolve intersubjective claims and more importantly, (4) it introduces the “learned imperfections-as-practice” theory, a new theoretical lens with significant implications for construction management, while providing valuable lessons in adjacent fields like organizational studies and psychology.