How do project managers acquire and exchange knowledge? An action research study of project managers in Australia

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building.This research study is based on a concern in the project management community, and Australian industry in general, about intergenerational loss of project management knowledge because of a talent exodus, resulting in a loss of capability within organisations. The results of an investigation conducted to understand how knowledge is acquired and exchanged in the delivery of projects in Australia by project managers are presented in this thesis. Two primary research questions were formed for this investigation: 1. How do project managers acquire project management knowledge?; and 2. How do project managers exchange project management knowledge? A secondary research question was developed to identify the knowledge sources which project managers use to acquire and exchange project management knowledge. The research also aims to demonstrate how a project manager’s personal behaviour, and the environment, influence how they acquire and exchange knowledge. An approach was required to separate what transpired during the acquisition and exchange of knowledge from the act of managing projects. The experiential approach is also used to examine the rhetoric of project managers, compared to observing actual behaviour. In the context of being situated in the workplace, conducting the investigation using an interpretivist research paradigm allowed themes to emerge and contribute to theory. A review of contemporary project management literature and practice resulted in a research framework based on a review of project management training, education and competency, and the areas underpinning knowledge acquisition and exchange. To structure this approach, four clusters were constructed to allow for interpretation covering knowledge acquisition; knowledge exchange; knowledge environment; and knowledge drivers. As the research evolved, emerging information and related topics to address the research questions, could be accommodated within these clusters. To accommodate the research paradigm an action research methodology was selected for the study, which involved iterative cycles of interaction and reflection to examine the project manager’s situation. Within these cycles, changes were made in order to evaluate how project managers could exchange knowledge more effectively. Several spin-off cycles were also employed to generate timely input from an external reference group to augment the rigour of the investigation. To identify research participant led, themes a systematic process was designed to collect, transcribe, and analyse the data, while recording the researcher’s reflections for interpretation. The themes relating to how project managers acquire and exchange knowledge were compared to the literature to identify divergence or convergence, and compare theories of social exchange, action, and reasoned action. The evidence from the research indicates experienced project managers in Australia acquire knowledge primarily from workplace experiences and interaction with, and guidance from, work colleagues. Further, project managers in the study were observed using formal ways to exchange knowledge and did so in an impersonal manner. However, in the exchange of knowledge, inconsistencies existed between project managers’ observed behaviour, opinions of their work colleagues, and the project managers’ view of themselves, indicating different perspectives of practice. Findings from the research contribute to social, action, and reasoned action theory relating to project management, with opportunities to apply the action research methodology to project management research, and to embed knowledge acquisition and exchange in project management policy. The research advances the practice of project management by establishing how knowledge is exchanged at project manager level

Learning How to Manage Projects: exploring the situational context

This paper presents an account of how project management practitioners learn, how they determine what they want to learn and suggests some future directions for their knowledge journey. Two similar teaching approaches will be discussed that are currently used at undergraduate and post graduate level in an Australian University. The approaches used to embed the formal concepts taught in class include field work and reflective practice. This will provide a view of the formal structure in which learning takes place and the informal way that explicit knowledge is converted to tacit knowledge. A formative research study into project management research directions undertaken in 2003 provides a framework for the knowledge required by practitioners to further the discipline of project managemen

The Puzzling Mr. Janin and Mammoth Cave Management, 1900-1910

Albert Covington Janin was the key architect of tourism development at Mammoth Cave for two decades at the start of the twentieth century, yet little has been written about his tenure. This paper explores his background and accomplishments for the period 1900 to 1910 as an initial attempt to understand his contributions to Mammoth Cave. Material about his activities in relation to Mammoth Cave is synthesized from primary sources in the archival collections of the Huntington Library (HL) of San Marino, California, and the Historical Society of Washington, DC (HSW)

Project managers’ and change managers’ contribution to success

© 2016, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Purpose – Many projects involve an organisational change component. Project management (PM) and change management (CM) have the potential to jointly contribute to the delivery of organisational changes. However, there is a lack of clarity in the literature about the boundary and relationship between these disciplines. The purpose of this paper is to explore the contribution these disciplines make to a set of project critical success factors, to understand the ways that these disciplines can most effectively work together. Design/methodology/approach – This paper analyses data collected through an online survey, examining project managers’ and change managers’ perception of each disciplines’ contribution to critical success factors. The survey received 455 responses. Findings – This paper identifies the success factors that are most clearly influenced by PM and CM, and areas where practitioners of these disciplines hold significantly different perceptions of their contributions. The results have been used to rank and categorise success factors based on the influence of each discipline. This has been used to develop a risk-based questionnaire to guide the contribution of PM and CM to the mitigation of specific project risks. Originality/value – These findings will be of use to practitioners managing organisational change projects, or projects with a significant change component. The findings will be of assistance in determining the ways in which these disciplines should work together to mitigate risks associated with specific critical success factors

Should project management aspire to be an archetypal profession: evidence from Australian-based research

Many occupations aspire to recognition as a profession. The question of whether or not project management is a profession has arisen multiple times within the literature, but answers vary. It is possible to identify common traits that typify occupations that are consistently agreed to have professional status. Project management is reviewed against these professional traits. This study also reports on the findings of two surveys, which provide insight into project managers’ perceptions of their own field. Survey responses are compared to their perceptions of change management, an arguably comparable field. Then, project managers’ views are compared to the general public’s perception of project management. It is found that a number of the archetypal traits of professions may not be relevant or desirable for project management. However, some approaches for developing the image of the field of project management to professional status are identified and discussed

Developing Professional Project Managers: The use of practice-oriented learning

This paper will explore two post graduate subjects `Project Management Principles' and `Project Management Practicum'; identify uniquely aggregated material by combining theory with practice using `real-life projects involved with established clients from industry; and explain reflective, culturally diverse, team-oriented and collaborative learning environments. Subject-specific assessments are embedded to achieve Course Intended Learning Outcomes aligned to the required university Graduate Attributes. The Graduate Attributes that students develop in these subjects include: critical thinking and research skills; creativity and innovation; communications and interpersonal skills; attitudes and values, and practical and professional skills. The following criteria will be examined within these two project management subjects that students undertake as part of a Graduate Certificate or Masters of Project Management: 1.Approaches to teaching and learning and/or to teaching and learning support that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn 2.Development of curricula and resources that reflect a command of the field 3.Scholarly activities and service innovations that have influenced and enhanced learning and teaching. The paper will demonstrate how the two courses integrate and extend students' knowledge and skills, and also the student experience in managing dynamic intercultural relations