The challenge of managing projects involving large scale, innovative technology has a long history. One particularly illustrative case dates back well over 300 years to the reign of King Gustavus II Adolphus of Sweden and the building of the Vasa -- 'The Tender Ship..[2]
"The Vasa capsizes" is a case in the management of innovation. It describes the failure of a large-scale project due to two main causes: (1) the nautical science of the day was inadequate and (2) project management methods and skills were inadequate. Most of the parties involved were competent managers in their own domain; but, they did not recognize that the Vasa was an innovative project and were unable to manage a project of its size, complexity and scope. The science and methods of the day were rudimentary as compared to modern nautical science and shipbuilding. However, it is apparent that for building tradtional fighting ships with the Swedish shipbuilders were close to achieving a dominant design. Their error was to assume that they could extrapolate their existing approach to create a larger ship instead of re-conceptualizing the process. Building the Vasa, an innovation in technology, required new managerial methods.
[Note: If you intend to use this case with students outside of SMU it must be downloaded to a local server or distributed in paper form. If demand for the case taxes our service, we will be compelled to take the case off the server, which will be inconvenience for other users as well as your students.]
This page is maintained by Blake Ives who can be reached at bives@SUN.CIS.SMU.EDU. This page was last updated on September 29, 1994. Although we will attempt to keep this information accurate, we can not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.