S. Cicmil

New Possibilities for Project Management Theory: A Critical Engagement

This paper provides avenues for a broader engagement with the conceptual considerations of projects and project management with the aim of creating new possibilities for thinking about, researching, and developing our understanding of the field as practiced. Attention is drawn to the legacy of conventional but deeply rooted mainstream approaches to studying projects and project management, and implications of the specific underpinning intellectual tradition for recommendations proposed to organisational members as best practice project management. The identified concerns and limitations are discussed in the context of project management evolution where taken-for-granted advantages of project management as a disciplined effective methodology and its popularity are reexamined. The paper sheds light on a variety of voices from both scholarly and practitioner communities that have attempted to respond to this paradox and move the field forward. Taking issue with conventional labels of project success or failure, and drawing attention to alternative theoretical and methodological propositions, the argument turns toward critical management studies, outlining the implications of this intellectual tradition for studies of projects, project management, project performance, and individual skills and competencies to cope with social arrangements labelled “projects.”

Understanding project management practice through interpretative and critical research perspectives

This paper discusses the possibilities that a qualitative research approach grounded in critical interpretative perspectives of phronetic social science can offer an alternative way of understanding and talking about the practice of project management. Such an approach implies a combination of practical philosophical considerations and concrete empirical analysis of lived experiences and social processes in concrete project settings. Two important issues are addressed: the complex process of this kind of qualitative research, and the nature and practical usefulness of its outcomes. First, the interconnectedness of a number of elements in the process of management research (the focus of inquiry, theoretical tradition used to define the research question, methodological approach to research design, and data collection and interpretation method) is presented as a holistic framework, which is then used to discuss the implications of deploying interpretative and critical methodologies in researching project management practice, skills, and competencies. By providing examples of both the process and outcomes from an illustrative research study, the paper illuminates how the chosen, phronesis-centered approach underpinned by the concepts of “pragmatic epistemology” and “cooperative enquiry” can generate new insights into project managers’ daily coping with the complexity of projects. Further commentary is then provided on how the mainstream, normative prescriptions regarding individual skills and competencies could be combined with the alternative ones that promote intuition, judgment, and social and political virtuosity in local contexts, and integrated to enhance the existing project management training and development schemes.

Technology transfer projects in developing countries--furthering the Project Management perspectives

Abstract This paper attempts to broaden the analysis of the technology transfer phenomenon by refocusing research attention on the level of performance assessment of technology transfer projects. An holistic evaluation framework based on the considerations of an extended Project Life Cycle model is proposed to overcome some of the shortcomings of conventional approaches to project evaluation. This also reinforces the need for open systems thinking in assessing and managing risk of technology transfer projects. The discussion is based on two case studies which articulate the experiences with two integrated mechanisms of technology transfer used in Algeria from 1965 to 1990: turnkey and “product-in-hand”. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the processes of technology transfer and to contribute to the improvement of associated managerial practices in developing economies.

The Japanese 5‐S practice and TQM training

Workplaces in Japan are well‐known for their cleanliness and orderliness. This results from the Japanese emphasis on training and discipline. The logic behind the 5‐S practice is that organization, neatness, cleanliness, standardization and discipline at the workplace are basic requirements for producing high quality products and services, with little or no waste, while maintaining high levels of productivity. Outlines results of an intensive questionnaire survey on about 3,000 companies in the UK and 200 leading companies in Japan with a response rate of about 12 per cent. Aims to determine whether the Japanese 5‐S practice has a significant contribution to the successful total quality management (TQM) implementation. The main finding from the 205 manufacturing and 106 services firms in the UK as well as 16 leading companies from Japan is that the 5‐S provides an essential total quality environment which is an important base for implementing TQM successfully. Inevitably, TQM training policy should incorp...

Critical factors of effective project management

Offers an insight into the renaissance of project management discipline in the context of strategic management and organizational design, and the need for increased awareness of and organizational learning in the subject. Proposes a flexible framework to facilitate the efforts for general and project management development and learning with an appreciation of the paradox and ambiguity in business environments. Opens up some scope for a discussion about the fit between project management and TQM.

Japanese 5‐S practice

States that Japanese factories and service organizations are well known for their cleanliness and orderliness. Suggests that this results from their ability to instil a sense of responsibility and discipline into their workers, particularly at plant level. Describes the Japanese 5‐S practice, the logic behind which is that organization, neatness, cleanliness, standardization and discipline at the workplace are basic requirements for producing high‐quality products and services, with little or no waste, while maintaining high levels of productivity. Aims to promote the 5‐S technique and explore the reasons why it has been widely used in Japan as the first step towards TQM in both the manufacturing and services industries. Also discusses the implementation of the 5‐S with the use of two case examples.

Collaborative academic/practitioner research in project management: Theory and models

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide of a review of the theory and models underlying project management (PM) research degrees that encourage reflective learning. Design/methodology/approach – Review of the literature and reflection on the practice of being actively involved in conducting and supervising academic research and disseminating academic output. The paper argues the case for the potential usefulness of reflective academic research to PM practitioners. It also highlights theoretical drivers of and barriers to reflective academic research by PM practitioners. Findings – A reflective learning approach to research can drive practical results though it requires a great deal of commitment and support by both academic and industry partners. Practical implications – This paper suggests how PM practitioners can engage in academic research that has practical outcomes and how to be more effective at disseminating these research outcomes. Originality/value – Advanced academic degrees, in particular those completed by PM practitioners, can validate a valuable source of innovative ideas and approaches that should be more quickly absorbed into the PM profession’s sources of knowledge. The value of this paper is to critically review and facilitate a reduced adaptation time for implementation of useful reflective academic research to industry.

Who am I and what am I doing here? : Becoming and being a project manager

Purpose – This paper aims to empirically explore the nature of tensions that emerge within the process of becoming a manager in the post‐bureaucratic organisation, by focusing on the emergence of project management as a key carrier of post‐bureaucracy. The paper seeks to address two aspects of individual transformation into project manager; first, it aims to understand the specific factors, which drive the transformation of technical specialists into project managers and, second, to illuminate the tensions and challenges experienced in this new position.Design/methodology/approach – The empirical base for the study is a series of structured group discussions with project managers from a range of distinct industrial sectors and organisations.Findings – The paper illustrates the tensions implicit in the process of becoming a project manager. It identifies a number of conflicts that arise between the overarching philosophy of project management and the process of enacting the role of project manager around t...

Collaborative academic/practitioner research in project management : Examples and applications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a cost-benefit interpretation of academic-practitioner research by describing and analysing several recent relevant examples of academic-practitioner research with a focus on doctoral theses carried out at universities and business schools in clusters of research centred in North America, Australia and Europe. Design/methodology/approach – Using case study examples, a value proposition framework for undertaking collaborative research for higher degree level study is developed and presented. Findings – Value proposition benefits from this level of collaborative research can be summarised as enhancing competencies at the individual and organisational level as well as providing participating universities with high-quality candidates/students and opportunities for industry engagement. The project management (PM) professional bodies can also extend PM knowledge but they need to be prepared to provide active support. Practical implications – A model for better defining the value proposition of collaborative research from a range of stakeholder perspectives is offered that can be adapted for researchers and industry research sponsors. Originality/value – Few papers offer a value proposition framework for explaining collaborative research benefits. This paper addresses that need.

Implementing organizational change projects: impediments and gaps

A ‘project’ perspective on managing change is offered to embrace a focused range of gaps and behavioural issues which determine the success or failure of change programmes. The argument evolves around contemporary strategic, managerial and behavioural concepts on implementing organizational change projects, and is supported by first-hand empirical evidence from a sample of UK based organizations during 1996–98. The gaps are identified as: clarity of the purpose of, and reasons for change [why]; definition and specification of project objectives [what], and the design of project process and choice of implementation method [how]. The impediments reflect the phenomena of slow learning, fast forgetting and organized resistance. Research evidence indicates that the management effort invested in closing those implementation gaps could concurrently remove the behavioural obstacles to change project success. Copyright