Project Management Competencies Research Articles

Impact of project management competence and complexities on the performance of mega engineering projects in Pakistan

This study examines Pakistan's public engineering projects' success based on project complexity and management expertise, using 100 questionnaires and developing hypotheses to evaluate organisational, technical, and environmental factors. Results indicate that project performance is positively linked to Project Management (PM) competence, underscoring the significance of skilled project managers in achieving favourable outcomes. Furthermore, leadership, management skills, communication, ethics, and integrity are identified as key drivers of project performance. On the other hand, technical and organisational complexities were discovered to have a negative influence, although environmental complexity did not significantly affect project performance. Several complexities, such as project objectives, tasks, and economic conditions, emerged as influential factors affecting project execution. This research contributes to PM theory, offering practical insights beneficial for project managers overseeing significant engineering endeavours and other professionals in this field. On a broader scale, the findings may inform governmental policies to enhance project performance, including qualifications for project managers. This study provides valuable guidance for addressing project complexities and improving project success within Pakistan's public engineering projects.

The main competences of the project manager: a bibliographic pairing analysis

This study aims to identify the main lines of studies currently carried out and to identify the main competences of the project manager. The project manager's understanding of the most recent academic research scenarios can influence further academic research. This study offers an analytical understanding of the current lines of research on the topic of competence of the project manager. Considering that the identification of the main drivers that drive the most recent studies, such as theories, authors and works related to the subject of project manager competencies, are important, a bibliographic pairing analysis was carried out. A bibliometric study makes it possible to unite diverse bibliographic data with statistical analyses. The main results were the observation that the most current studies still observe referring to the project manager, the technical competences, the identification of the main competences and the definition of seven groups of competences and their respective representativeness in the current researches. The contributions of this study focus on the identification of current lines of study related to project managers' competencies, on the finding that there is an important movement towards soft skills and hard skills studies, and on the identification of the project manager's main competencies.

Revealing contribution mechanisms of project managers' technical competencies toward success in oil and gas projects

PurposeProject managers' competencies contribute toward project success in a considerable manner. The significance of technical competencies' (TCs) contribution toward success in Oil and Gas (O&G) projects is even higher due to the complexity and the technology-intensive nature of these projects. However, technical competencies have often been overlooked in favor of behavioral competencies or simply identified and listed in terms of their significance. Thus, there is currently very limited research-based knowledge concerning the contribution mechanisms of technical competencies toward project execution success. Hence, the aim of this study is to explore the contribution mechanisms of TCs toward success in O&G projects.Design/methodology/approachA case study was employed as the research strategy through which data was collected from project professionals in O&G projects in the Kingdom of Bahrain using semi-structured interviews. Transcripts of the interviews were then analyzed through thematic analysis method with the aid of NVIVO 12.FindingsThe findings reveal six mechanisms through which technical competencies of project managers contribute toward execution success in O&G projects. TCs not only act as a launch pad toward project success, but also help in optimizing engineering designs throughout the project life cycle.Originality/valueInstead of simply identifying and listing TCs, the obtained results enhance our current understanding of their contribution mechanisms toward project success in O&G projects.

IMPACT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE ON PROJECT MANAGER’S COMPETENCY

There is increased awareness about the factors that affect project success since project stakeholders are constantly working towards a successful project. Although there are many aspects that affect a project's success, project managers are essential. The purpose of this study is to investigate how emotional intelligence (EI) affects project managers' ability to manage projects effectively. Research has been done in fields of relation between emotional intelligence and project success, but influence of emotional intelligence on project manager’s competency in the field is unknown. In this study linear regression is applied to determine the inter relation between emotional intelligence and competency of a project manager. The practical application of linear regression was demonstrated and conclusions were drawn from the findings of the study. The inter-relations between emotional intelligence and competency of project managers are determined along with the degree of dependency. It is important to understand the dependency of competency on soft skills to enhance a project manager’s performance and thus the project’s success.

THE ROLE OF PROJECT MANAGER COMPETENCE IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUCCESS: THE CASE OF A UTILITY COMPANY

A project manager’s competency depends on the project’s complexity and includes a unique set of personal attributes and the ability to apply appropriate leadership styles. This paper reports on a Delphi study that includes the views of 30 experts – employed by a utility that executes projects with different levels of complexity. The results confirm that project manager competence is influenced by leadership styles that are appropriate for specific project lifecycle stages and levels of project complexity, as well as specific personal attributes. The study thus provides guidance regarding the project manager competence that is required for specific situations.

Using scenarios for the development of personal communication competence in project management

Using scenarios for the development of personal communication competence in project management

Using scenarios for the development of personal communication competence in project management

Using scenarios for the development of personal communication competence in project management

Evaluating project management (PM) readiness in construction companies: cases from Chile

Project management (PM) competence is a very important ability for construction companies and for the successful realization of their projects. It has always been considered that, since construction is a project-based activity, most of construction companies would be well prepared to adopt and apply PM, mastering it. However, construction projects have many failures causing serious consequences to the organizations and most of these failures are related to project management deficiencies. Then, it is very important to achieve these PM capabilities, which requires a suitable organizational readiness for adopting PM, that is, the necessary cultural, environmental, and organizational conditions. This research addresses the organizational readiness of construction companies by proposing a framework to assess it, which is based on factors that are considered necessary to facilitate and assure the adoption of PM capabilities within an organization. These factors were identified through a literature review and an evaluation model was designed with them. This framework was applied to four domestic construction companies and one mining services company. The main result of the evaluation showed that these companies have a low level of organizational readiness, although they recognize the importance of adopting PM capabilities. In fact, they do not count with the appropriate conditions to promote and demand a formalization and standardization of the PM function at the organization. This condition produces that many project managers of these companies manage their construction projects based on their own knowledge and experience only, without a real PM organizational framework and support. Results obtained in this research allow companies to know how to evaluate their PM organizational readiness including their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improving their current situation.

The possibilities and results of assessing the competencies of project managers by the 180 degree method

The possibilities and results of assessing the competencies of project managers by the 180 degree method

Assessment of the Influence of Quadruple Constraint Management on Home Insurance Performance in Nairobi County, Kenya

The purpose of the study was to establish the extent to which quadruple constraint management affects home insurance performance in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was guided by the following research objectives: to establish the extent to which scope management, time management, cost management and quality management affect home insurance performance in Nairobi County, Kenya. Two theories of quadruple constraint management and performance were advanced. The study had four independent variables (scope management, time management, cost management and quality management), one intervening variable (gross domestic product growth rate) and one dependent variable (home insurance performance). Research methodology adopted was mixed methods. The study embraced an explanatory sequential research design. Target population comprised 185 respondents. Stratified random sampling method yielded a sample size of 135 respondents. A personally administered questionnaire and a structured interview were employed as research instruments. Data collected was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29. Research instruments were valid because the researcher sought advice from research experts including the supervisor. Research instruments were reliable because all test-retest reliability coefficients were greater than 0.7. Correlation analysis showed that scope management, time management, cost management and quality management were positively correlated with home insurance performance. The study concluded that the four project management competencies improved home insurance performance. Quadruple constraint management is paramount to the monitoring and evaluation process of home insurance performance. The study recommends that insurers, insureds, intermediaries and other industry players adopt quadruple constraint management in their activities to boost industry performance.

Rubric’s Development Process for Assessment of Project Management Competences

Assessment rubrics are recognized for their positive effects, being defined as an evaluative instrument that establishes assessment criteria and performance levels. In this sense, assessment rubrics can be associated with professional practices for more authentic assessment processes. In the context of Project Management, the International Project Management Association (IPMA) has developed a framework that establishes the individual competences for professionals working in the area, the Individual Competence Baseline (ICB). The objective of this study is to propose a process of rubric development for competence assessment in Project Management. A rubric for Leadership competence was developed to show the applicability and relevance of the proposed process. The research methodology adopted in the study was Design Science Research. The application and evaluation of this rubric in a pilot study show that the rubric development process allowed the creation of a specific rubric for the assessment of leadership competence. This paper guides those who need to develop and assess project management competences, and it is intended to propose a replicable process for the other ICB competences.

Investigating staff capabilities to make projects resilient: A systematic literature review and future directions

Projects are increasingly confronted with uncertainties and unexpected events, which necessitate having capabilities to build resilience to cope with such events. Yet, the understanding of staff capabilities to make projects resilient remains limited. The study employed Templier and Paré's (2015) six-step instructions for conducting an SLR to close the gap. A data sample of 283 articles was systematically analyzed to filter 97 relevant articles for content analysis, yielding three-fold findings. First, much work has been done on the project manager's competences and skills, followed by projects and project team management. But literature is largely silent on how those competencies can make projects resilient. Second, there is a conceptual overlap among various types of competencies (e.g., behavioral and cognitive), which transcends in understanding of capabilities for project resilience as well. Third, to systemize knowledge development, capabilities literature should be categorized along four dimensions, i.e., project manager, team, staff, and projects (projects are regarded as temporary organizations as per definition in Appendix 1). Then, the capabilities along these dimensions can be classified from behavioral, cognitive, and functional/technical/managerial aspects to overcome the conceptual overlaps and develop strategies to make projects resilient. Academically, the study has: 1) developed a classification scheme to examine staff capabilities for project resilience, and 2) identified six areas of future research agenda, e.g., inter-disciplinary effects of project staff capabilities on resilience.

A Quantitative Study of the Impact of Organizational Culture, Communication Management, and Clarity in Project Scope on Constructions’ Project Success with Moderating Role of Project Manager’s Competencies to Enhance Constructions Management Practices

The construction industry is considered a driver of economic growth, especially in developing countries. However, the successful completion of construction projects is a major challenge, due to the lack of competencies. The current study explores the effects of communication management practices, clarity in the scope of the construction project, and organizational culture to enhance project success. A project manager is essential in running a project smoothly and according to the schedule. Keeping in view the predominant role of the project manager, this study aims to find the moderating impact of manager competencies to improve the construction project routine and generate successful projects. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the data and determine how these variables influence construction project progress. The current research results show an excellent association between a construction project’s success and the discussed independent variables. Additionally, it was found that a competent project manager can play a better role in preventing the uncomfortable influences of independent variables on the dependent variable. The obtained outcomes highlight the importance of adequately handling organizational culture, communication management, and clarity to achieve project success. These outcomes are helpful for the professionals working in the construction sector to raise the project success rate and enhance their construction management capabilities.

Leadership in Construction: A Scientometric Review

Leadership plays an increasingly important role in construction projects, and numerous research studies have been conducted. This study aims to identify the structure evolution development trends of this knowledge domain using visualisation analysis with CiteSpace. A total of 1789 peer-reviewed articles are collected from Scopus and the WoS core collection database to conduct a scientometric analysis. The results indicate that the US dominates this field and that institutions from Australia have made greater contributions. However, international cooperation in this area is not active. A total of eight co-citation clusters were identified, and the research of leadership in construction primarily focused on the topics of transactional leadership, safety leadership, team performance, leadership interaction processes and actual leader behaviour. The keywords co-occurrence evolution analysis was also conducted to provide a holistic knowledge map. Based on the development of this field and its current status, we propose trends and innovative research areas for future research. The findings in this research would help scholars to understand the structure and future trends of this field. Meanwhile, the research results would provide a reference for construction enterprises to formulate project manager competency criteria.

The influence of project manager competencies on the success of construction projects: A case of Indonesia

Competent project managers are expected to be able to achieve project success in terms of time, quality, and costs specified in the contract. This study aims to determine the competence of project managers that has the most significant influence on the success of a construction project. The data used were questionnaires distributed to 43 respondents employed at contractor companies located in Aceh Province, Indonesia. The samples were selected using Stovin’s formula; data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. The results of the study showed that of ten project managers’ competence factors, the top five rankings were obtained by knowledge factor (X1) with a mean value of 4.773, problem-solving (X8) with a mean value of 4.659, technical skills (X5) with a mean value of 4.587, general skills factor (X2) with a mean value of 4.531, and attitude and behavior factor (X3) with a mean value of 4.521. The findings show that the knowledge factor was dominant among all project manager competencies necessary to implement construction projects in Aceh Province. This shows that the knowledge possessed by a project manager significantly affects the successful implementation of such projects.

The relative importance of a change agents’ competencies to project management approaches

Managing projects for success requires a mix of competencies, whether interpersonal, technical, cognitive, and these competencies may explain variations in project performance. In this context, it is challenging to determine the relative importance of change agent competencies for each project management approach. This article aims to present the relative importance of ten competencies of change agents in relation to project management approaches. Through an online questionnaire with change agents, followed by a fuzzy Topsis multicriteria analysis, was identified the degree of belonging of each competence to each project management approach. We identified that team management and project management competencies are essential in the respondent’s opinion when using predictive approaches, while leadership and technical competencies are essential for hybrid approaches. For the agile approach, communication skills, flexibility, social skills, problem-solving skills, reliability and professionalism, conflict management and technical competencies were considered essential.

The Research of Behavioral Project Management Competencies

One of the key advantages of every employee is the possession of adequate competencies. Knowledge, accurate, comprehensible, relevant and correct information, as well as consistent communication with other employees, are of crucial importance. The improvement of any competence, whether behavioral, technical or contextual, directly affects the personal development of employees, and has an impact at the individual and at the organizational level. Behavioral competence in project management implies the behavior of employees when achieving individual and group goals. This article refers to behavioral competencies in project management in particular. Data were collected through empirical research, to investigate the presence of behavioral project management competencies of individuals and its application in certain situations. The findings showed that the behavioral competencies that are present the most are: communication, teamwork, leadership, openness, and ethics.

Project Manager Competencies for Dealing with Socio-Technical Complexity: A Grounded Theory Construction

An ongoing question is what constitutes the characteristics of a project manager. This is the subject of many studies. The characteristics, skills, abilities and knowledge of project managers—essential factors in a project’s success—describe their level of competency. This study aims to assess the relationship between project manager competencies and project complexity in the information technology (IT) sector. In total, 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior practitioners associated with complex IT projects in the private and public sectors. All transcripts were analysed through grounded theory and content analysis, with experts approving the results. Our study identified 41 competencies within project complexity, with these grouped under the following 10 dimensions: project management (PM) knowledge; management skills; interpersonal skills and attributes; professionalism; expertise; emotional skills; contextual skills; influencing skills; team working; and cognitive skills. According to this research, leadership is the core competency of a project manager, while project management knowledge is the most essential of these competency dimensions. This study’s findings can assist both academics and practitioners in simplifying the complexity of projects and helping to achieve a project’s objectives.

Competency model for international engineering project manager through MADM method: The Chinese context

Due to the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese engineering contracting companies have ushered in excellent opportunities in the international engineering market. However, for the lack of comprehensive talents, Chinese international engineering projects are currently facing various difficulties. How to select, evaluate, and train highly competitive engineering project managers is of great significance to them. In this paper, an improved Multi-Attribute Decision Making Method (MADM) is used to construct the competency model of international engineering project managers, so as to provide a reliable reference and suggestions for the evaluation process and future development.The current study of project managers’ competency is mainly focused on the local level rather than the international level, and discussed about the competency of general project managers instead of a specific industry of engineering. Also, we noticed the lack of a systematic method of competency evaluation for Chinese international engineering project managers.Aiming at the manager competency of international engineering projects, this paper firstly combines Repertory Grid technique (RepGrid) with the help of Chinese experts abroad and factor analysis to construct a competency evaluation index system, and then combines Decision-making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Analytic Network Process (ANP) to explore the interaction between various indicators and determine the weight of each indicator. Finally, through improved Vlse kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method the five candidates from a Chinese company in the case are evaluated. The final parts of this article provide a methodological reference and improvement suggestions for the recruitment, performance evaluation, training and career development of international engineering project managers based on the constructed model.

Project Manager’s Competencies Required by Corporate Management of Chemical Industry in the Czech Republic

Purpose of the article: This paper focuses on the issues of project manager competencies in corporate practice. It presents required project management competencies from the point of view of corporate management representatives – human resource managers.Methodology/methods: The paper introduces the outcomes of the research conducted in the chemical companies in the Czech Republic in 2019. The research involved 514 chemical companies that were active in manufacturing chemical substances; in total, 60 from the addressed number of respondents replied.Scientific aim: The scientific aim of this paper is to summarise the required project management competencies from the point of view of corporate management representatives.Findings: The article presents the most important requirements for the project manager’s competencies, project manager selecting tools and tools for enhancing competencies. The specification of requirements on this position and their verification, the selection of project managers and education in area of project management are indicative of one of the possible practical forms of Career Systems for Project Managers.Conclusions: This paper identifies the required project management competencies from the point of view of corporate management representatives – human resource managers and tools usable for project managers’ career development. The limiting factor of the paper is the scope of activity of the companies focussing solely on the chemical industry. Implementation of recommended tools and procedures in human resource management can bring a new dimension into corporate human resource management, project management, improvements in relationships in the teams, in the workplace, and broader possibilities of employee development.