A project is a singular, temporally limited and complex task (1). One differentiates the following forms of the project organization concerning the degree of the Line project organization, staff line project organization, matrix project organization, pure project organization and project company. The latter represents the highest degrees at

The project company is additionally still legally independent contrary to the pure project organization, which is only organizational independent. It represents thus its own enterprise, which was created only for the project.

Characteristics

The project usually is from very large extent, from long duration and from very large complexity. Therefore it is sometimes advisable to separate the task of project from the primary organization and it organizational to independent. The internal organisational structure of the project company can be as arranged with every other enterprise like that. With increasing project size one divides the overall project into Subprojekte, a project hierarchy consisting of overall project leader and Subprojektleiter is established (2).

The project manager, who is at the same time enterprise leader, possesses the complete instruction and line power. The coworkers are subordinate to it in direct line, i.e. instructions exclusively receive them from it. The members of the project team are adjusted only for this project. If the project company does not take care of more again, first intended tasks, they will again dismiss after dissolution of the project company.

For a better understanding it is to be dealt of importance with the reasons for the legal (the goal structure of the project, the singularity (risk) of the task of project, the complexity of the task of project and number of the agencies responsible for the project and the financing of the project) more in greater detail.

The legal of a project is to be considered whenever the goals of the project with the goals of the basis organization stand in conflict (project-external conflicting aims), for example if the basis organization is subjected to the principle of the thriftiness, while the project decisions require a weighing of inputs and outputs in the sense of the economy principle. Since aim of the project and enterprise are identical, the problem of project-external conflicting aims cannot arise. To emphasize it is that with internal conflicting aims (between achievement, costing and a date goal) from it can be refrained a project company to base, since conflict-reducing interferences are difficult into legally autonomous institutions (3).

With the decision for the establishment of a project company above all the task characteristic plays "„singularity "“a large role. There tasks of project innovatively and/or under exzeptionellen conditions to be solved must are inherent in them a substantially higher risk than tasks of routine. The legal reduces the danger that failures endanger the existence of the basis organization, e.g. by monetary losses or image and prestige losses (4).

Due to the high complexity of the tasks of project and, it is to be switched on for the obligation to the search for interdisciplinary solutions necessarily several agencies responsible for the project (enterprises). There it no longer possible is the project within a basis organization or a project organization integrated into an enterprise will complete its own project company based. The common execution of projects by several enterprises is usually selected for capacity or risk division reasons (5). At project companies with several agencies responsible for the project one speaks of interorganisationalem project management. Examples of it are working groups and consortia (legally independent societies, which usually exhibit the legal form of a society of the civil right) and the general contractor shank. (The client locks a contract with a general contractor for the execution of the entire project. The general contractor holds the direction of the project and - responsibility. It closes with subcontractors so mentioned contracts over the fulfilment of subtasks of the project off (6). By a project financing the financing of a basic project is to be understood, i.e. the Krediteber is to be served from the resulting cash flow of a project. In the comparison to the traditional financing by borrowing, the future profit potential of the project forms the emphasis of the credit standing (a global risk of all agencies responsible for the project). Project financing finds for example with traffic projects, establishment of power stations, refineries, hotel complexes, etc. application. It requires the establishment of its own society. Usually one selects the legal form of a finance company, to which the project credits are disbursed and which appear as a debtor opposite the credit institutes. A project financing causes the distribution of the project-specific risks on the agencies responsible for the project and the credit givers (7).

Choice of the legal form

Since the choice of the legal form of a project company represents a Metaentscheidung, speak among the decisions ranks, which are to be fallen other decision-making processes pre-aged and only once or rarely, must it special meaning be attached. It is an important determinant for project success (8).

The legals form offer themselves to society of the civil right (GbR), unincorporated firm (OHG or kg) or finance company (GmbH or AG). In practice rather the finance company with limited liability is selected (9).

Advantages

Advantages of the organizational

The coworkers are vollzeitig active for the project company. They are busy only with the task accomplishment in the context of the project. A double occupation in primary and secondary organization (project organization) is not given. Since they not additionally into other tasks merged are can an optimal personnel employment be ensured. The moreover authority and responsibility are clearly regulated. The co-operation of the coworkers works therefore usually well. Since the project manager is at the same time enterprise leader, it comes to no authority conflicts concerning the instruction and line power.

Advantages of the legal

By smaller enterprise units and open, less formalized communication structures it comes to the of the information and decision ways. The legal increases the capable of cooperationness and an independent project financing (procurement of capital over the market) is guaranteed (10). Any risks can be transferred of/the Basisorganisation/en to the project company.

Disadvantages

Due to the fact that the project company is dissolved after project end, it tries the coworkers not to become in order to extend too rapidly dismisses the project time. There is the danger that with a legal the tendency of the projects is additionally strengthened to "„independent existence "“, the danger of the self purpose organization increases (11). The moreover one a does not arise in relation to changes of the Aufgabenstruktur.Da at the project company project-related tasks results, is it heavily Peronalbelastungsspitzen to be adjusted as a result of the project-task specific establishment of the organisational structure.

Ranges of application

The organization form project company finds particularly with large-scale projects application. For example the Olympia building firm ltd. was created in the context of the meeting "“olympic summer games 1972"” in Munich or the Expo AG for the preparation and execution of the world exhibition vienna Budapest 1995. Further well-known project companies are working groups (BAD ONES), consortia, general enterprise in the building industry, in air and space travel, research and development.

Literature

From the text marks (#):

1. Green, Oskar: Organization. In: Scheuch (Hrsg.): General management economics, Vienna 1990, P. 492
2. George: Organization, bases of the modern organization organization. Wiesbaden, P. 194
3. Doralt, green, Novotny: The legal form decision in the project organization. Vienna 1978, S. 5f
4. Doralt, green, Novotny: The legal form decision in the project organization. Vienna 1978, S. 6ff
5. Doralt, green, Novotny: The legal form decision in the project organization. Vienna 1978, S. 9f
6. Corsten, Hans: Project management. Munich vienna 2000, S. 81ff
7. Corsten, Hans: Project management. Munich vienna 2000, S. 81ff
8. Doralt, green, Novotny: The legal form decision in the project organization. Vienna 1978, P. 1
9. Rolf: Strategy and organization - analysis and planning of the Unterehmensdiversifikation with case examples. Wiesbaden 1993, P. 454
10. Rolf: Strategy and organization - analysis and planning of the Unterehmensdiversifikation with case examples. Wiesbaden 1993, P. 454
11. Doralt, green, Novotny: The legal form decision in the project organization. Vienna 1978, P. 7

Related links

• http://webdoc.sub.gwdg.de/diss/2001/salzmann/
• http://www.bas.uni-essen.de/Projektorganisation.pdf
• http://www.qrst.de/html/bwl/projektorganisation.htm

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