Study goals
To map and analyze the main trends and developments that structure research on project integration in public management, identifying approaches, relationships, and patterns in academic discourse that influence theoretical advancements and practical applications.
Relevance / originality
The study systematizes research on project integration, revealing paradigms and theoretical gaps, and proposes metrics sensitive to public value, social legitimacy, and institutional complexity, contributing to more integrated, adaptable, and collaborative governance arrangements.
Methodology / approach
Bibliometric research with bibliographic coupling, exploratory factor analysis, and network mapping, complemented by cluster analysis and labeling through content analysis, identifying relevant trends, patterns, and theoretical gaps.
Main results
Six central trends were identified: organizational integration; technological integration; integration models and evaluation structures; performance measurement and innovation; knowledge management; and team integration. The field evolved from technical approaches to more collaborative, context-sensitive, and public value-oriented perspectives.
Theoretical / methodological contributions
The study systematizes the field of project integration, mapping paradigms and gaps, and applies bibliometric analysis with coupling and EFA to identify conceptual patterns, providing support for theoretical advancements, innovative metrics, and integrated methodological approaches.
Social / management contributions
The study provides insights for more integrated and collaborative governance practices, proposing metrics sensitive to public value and social legitimacy, strengthening organizational and social capacities to address complexity and promote more equitable and sustainable outcomes.