Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the major trends and contributions published in the Advances in Project Management book series and place them in the context of the findings and outputs from the Rethinking Project Management Network. A key aim is to address the concerns of project practitioners and explore the alternatives to the assumed linear rationality of project thinking. The paper further offers a guided catalogue to some of the key ideas, concepts and approaches offered to practitioners through the series. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual review paper that reflects on the main areas covered in a book series aimed at improving modern project practice and explores the implications on practice, knowledge and the relationship between research and practice. The topics are addressed through the prism of the Rethinking Project Management Network findings. Findings The paper explores new advances in project management practice aligning them with key trends and perspectives identified as part of the Rethinking Project Management initiative. It further delineates new areas of expertise augmenting those mentioned in the disciplinary canons of knowledge. Research limitations/implications The paper offers a new understanding of how knowledge is created in, for and by practice. Improving the relationship between theory and practice may demand a new appreciation of the role of practitioners and the value of their reflection in context. Practical implications The primary implication is to explore the new directions and perspectives covered by authors in the Advances in Project Management series, and identify main areas and topics that feature in the emerging discourse about project management practice. In addition, new conceptualisations of the role of practitioners in making sense of project realities are offered and considered. Originality/value New areas of interest and activity are identified and examined, offering a catalogue of new writing and perspectives in project practice. Reflection on the relationship between research and practice encourages fresh thinking about the crucial role of practitioner knowledge and reflection.
Highlights
This is a conceptual review paper that reflects on the main areas covered in a book series aimed at improving modern project practice and explores the implications on practice, knowledge and the relationship between research and practice
The primary implication is to explore the new directions and perspectives covered by authors in the Advances in Project Management series, and identify main areas and topics that feature in the emerging discourse about project management practice
To assess the impact of the book series, it would be useful to map the main contributions and perspectives covered by titles in the series against the original directions for development identified by the Rethinking Project Management Network
Summary
The first level relates to theory that helps to understand and make sense of practice, typically from a particular perspective or viewpoint. This relates to the first direction identified. The classical representation of a project lifecycle concept is insufficient to capture all nuances of project work and cannot be taken as an all-encompassing representation of actual practice (Cicmil, Williams, Thomas, & Hodgson, 2006; Svejvig & Andersen, 2015). The implication was that there is a need to develop new models and theories capable of acknowledging the inherent complexity of projects and offering new insights about the realities of projects perceived within a wider organisational and societal context (see, for example, (Hodgson & Cicmil, 2006)). While the temptation may be to seek an alternative model that could replace the rational deterministic model, the real value of the insights is in encouraging a plurality of models and ways of engaging with the actuality of projects and project management
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