People at the Heart of Projectification: Rethinking Agency, Identity, and Value Creation

Call for Papers – People at the Heart of Projectification: Rethinking Agency, Identity, and Value Creation

Journal: International Journal of Managing Projects in Business
Publisher: Emerald Publishing
Submission deadline: 15 November 2026

This special issue foregrounds the human dimension in the era of projectification, moving beyond structural and systemic accounts to examine how people experience, shape, and are reshaped by project-based organizing. It invites work on agency, identity, and value creation across diverse sectors and life stages, exploring how individuals and collectives navigate the fluidity, temporality, and complexity of projectified work and society.

Types of research this SI invites

Guest editors

Prof Reinhard Wagner, Alma Mater, Slovenia
Prof Mladen Radujković, Alma Mater, Slovenia
Prof Taryn Bond‑Barnard, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Prof Helgi Thor Ingason, Reykjavik University, Iceland
Dr Yannick Kalff, HTW Berlin, Germany

List of suggested topic areas

• Individuals’ agency, structure, temporality, and autonomy in projectification

• Identity formation and maintenance in temporary, project‑based work environments

• Co‑creation and redefinition of value by people in projectification processes

• The role of projects in personal and occupational development across the life course

• The influence of education and educational opportunities on participation in projects

• Individual expectations, aspirations, and objectives in project management and projectification

• Positive and negative impacts of temporary project work on people involved

• Organisational, governmental, and societal conditions that support or hinder engagement in successful projects

• Limits of projectification and potential “over‑projectification” or de‑projectification

• Cultural factors shaping people’s involvement in projects and projectification

• Cross‑national differences in projectification and their implications for individuals

• The benefits and drawbacks of professional project management for implementation in different societal domains

Submission information

Submissions open on 15 January 2026 and must be made via ScholarOne Manuscripts:
https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ijmpb

At the step “Please select the issue you are submitting to”, select the special issue title from the drop‑down menu.
Follow the journal’s Author Guidelines:
https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/ijmpb#jlp_author_guidelines

Articles must not have been published previously or be under consideration elsewhere while under review.

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