FROM REDUCTIONISM TO ADAPTABILITY: PARADIGMATIC EVOLUTION AND CONCEPTUAL ARCHITECTURE OF ORGANIZATIONAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Problem. The research is dedicated to a comprehensive study of the crisis of relevance in traditional project management in the current conditions of uncertainty and a complex external environment. It is noted that the classical reductionist approach, based on rigid planning and control, is incapable of ensuring the necessary adaptability in a dynamic external context. Methodology. An analytical review of the theoretical evolution of the project management discipline was conducted using comparative paradigmatic analysis, and conceptual modeling was performed based on a seven-layer model of organizational project management to identify hierarchical cause-and-effect relationships. Research Results. The study revealed a fundamental paradigmatic shift from solving predetermined tasks to continuously structuring problems with regular goal revision. Organizational project management has been conceptualized based on a seven-layer model, thoroughly examining the hierarchical interrelationship of strategic and operational levels. A direct dependence of operational flexibility on the strategic choice of organizational philosophy has been demonstrated, including process-oriented, project-oriented, and project-based organizations. Adaptability has been conceptualized not only and not so much as a set of flexible methods applied at the operational level, but as emergent team performance requiring systemic support from all levels of project management. Practical Application. A theoretical framework is proposed, designed for transforming organizations towards high adaptability and overcoming the crisis of relevance. It is emphasized that such an approach allows for avoiding fragmented and ineffective transformations and ensuring full alignment of strategic decisions with operational practices. The critical need for top-down change initiation has been highlighted: starting with a review of organizational philosophy and structure, rather than the piecemeal implementation of agile methodologies at the operational level of individual teams. Without a coordinated review of the entire organization's philosophy, any initiatives will encounter structural resistance. The importance of a holistic, systemic approach to change has been justified, where the strategic choice of project orientation and the adjustment of leadership mechanisms legitimize iterative practices and ensure systemic support for changes at all hierarchical levels.