ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the relationship between innovation projects and the permanent parent organization in order to understand how this relationship develops over time in a highly institutionalized context. We draw particular attention to the reciprocal impact that projects and parent organizations have on each other. The chapter is based on an in-depth qualitative study of two traditional Swedish newspaper organizations that are undergoing renewal and change. Due to economic challenges, these newspapers organized digital innovation projects in order to generate new income streams. The study highlights two aspects: firstly, rather than being time-limited, projects become ‘permanentized’ at the same time as some aspects of the permanent organization become more temporary; secondly, rather than being connected to a well-defined task, projects become containers of future hopes and dreams, in order for the permanent organization to continue with ‘business as usual’ rather than changing.
