Cultural practices of governing megaprojects

This chapter discusses a cultural perspective of megaproject governance. The characteristics of megaprojects bring along specific needs for complex governance arrangements to ensure their smooth execution. However, such ex ante arrangements have proven to be too limited to anticipate for the uncertain, ambiguous, or invisible issues that emerge during execution. A cultural perspective of megaproject governance contributes to the debate on project governance with a focus on the, sometimes hidden, cultural practices of megaproject governance. Three examples of cultural practices in megaprojects are discussed: trust development, transitional rituals, and managing cultural differences. Insights into these practices help to understand the impact of governance arrangements on the daily work of megaproject actors.