Field Of Project Management Research Articles

Editorial: The Innovation and Project Management Department in the Journal of Operations Management

Editorial: The Innovation and Project Management Department in the <i>Journal of Operations Management</i>

Research of requirement management features in the field of project management in a full-cycle engineering company

Introduction. Organizational development and practice of the project management system implementation is of particular interest to engineering companies that implement complex and multi-stage design and construction projects having a complex structure, a large number of stakeholders and a high degree of result individualization. In this case, a situation often arises when processes are formalized, which means that a certain list of regulatory documents are developed in which project contributors, their activities, authority and responsibility, a sequence of actions to be performed, templates of project documents, etc. are defined, but in practice these requirements are not fulfilled or not fulfilled in full. The research problem is that approaches to the formation of a project management system do not offer a universal mechanism applied to monitor the compliance with project management requirements established by inhouse regulatory documents. As a result, project contributors resist such requirements in some companies. The subject of the study is the development of a tool designated for the monitoring of compliance with regulatory documents in the field of project management in a full-cycle engineering company.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The method of process modeling and reengineering, statistical analysis, and the requirements management methodology were applied.&#x0D; Results. Features of project management in engineering companies are outlined. Research results obtained in terms of adapting the requirement management methodology and engineering project quality are analyzed. The target scheme that applies to project management quality control and project audit processes was performed. The toolkit for the project management quality control was developed and a list of indicators was formulated. The analysis of statistics on cases of failure to comply with project management quality indicators and underlying reasons is conducted.&#x0D; Conclusions. The project management quality control toolkit, proposed in the article, allows to analyze the compliance of project contributors with the requirements applied to project management processes formalized in a company and to increase the efficiency of various types of projects.

Does government policy matter? Factors influencing contractors' risk attitudes in the Malaysian construction industry: A structural equation modelling analysis

One of the critical factors responsible for the successful management of construction projects is individual factors. These factors play a significant role in the decision-makers' attitudes towards risks management. Many previous studies regarding the management of construction projects have focusedon the factors contributing to the success of risk management. However, little attention has been given to factors severely affecting the decision-makers' risk attitudes with particular reference to an individual's risk factors in the construction industry. Therefore, this study aims to identify the factors affecting contractors' risk attitudes and then determine its relationship with government policy. Theoriesof planned behaviour and organisational control wereused to develop the theoretical framework that investigated G-7 contractors in the Kuantan Pahang, Malaysian construction industry. A review of relevant literature and questionnaire was employedto identify the factors affecting contractors' risk attitudes (personal factors). 112copies of a structured questionnaire were analysed with a response rate of 80%. Structural Equation Modelling SEM was utilised to test the hypotheses developed for the study. The results of this study,through SEM,proved that personal factors (working experience, professional competence and physical health) have a significant influence on contractor risk attitudes in the Malaysian construction industry. The findings of this research also confirm that government policy (rules and regulations) plays a moderating role in enhancing the relationship of personal factors affecting contractors’ risk attitudes in construction companies in Malaysia. The findings of the study provide more understanding of the personal factors that affect contractors' risk attitudes to facilitate contractors' decision-making process and serve as a useful reference for further studies in the field of construction project management.

Generation Z: Fitting Project Management Soft Skills Competencies—A Mixed-Method Approach

Generation Z is arriving in the workforce. Do these youngsters have the skills and traits to fit project teams? This study reviews the literature concerning project management competencies and the traits that are associated with Generation Z. To deepen the understanding of its members (Gen Zers) traits, we explore the self-awareness of their profile, strengths and weaknesses with an empirical study. We used a mixed-method approach, implementing a survey on a sample of 211 college students about to enter the labor market. Comparing our survey results with the literature, we identified differences that reveal some of the lack of awareness of Gen Zers about their traits. Further analysis also revealed a significant correlation between the most highlighted Generation Z traits and essential project management soft skills, pointing to Generation Z as a promissory asset in the project management field. However, other essential project management (PM) soft skills were not grounded in personality traits. Our findings, namely the lack of awareness and association results, suggest the need for further research on educational approaches and re-thinking and targeting education and training policies that could strengthen Generation Z soft skills. Our results also suggest reflections about whether the Gen Zers traits fit the PM competencies sought by organizations.

The Effective Resource Budgeting as a Tool for Project Management

In our globalizing world the competition among firms producing the same goods and services have intensified, every organization now seeks to maximize funds and resources while delivering the best results for projects embarked on towards the overall profitability of said organization. Consequently, understanding the relationship between effective resource budgeting and project management is a necessity. The main purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant relationship between effective resource budgeting and project management. In this research paper, a literature review in the field of resource budgeting and project management was presented, and the papers were discussed for a deeper understanding of state of the art. This research made use of quantitative method to gather data due to the nature of the topic. Survey was used as a method of data collection. It was concluded that resource budgeting is a tool for project management, hence effective resource budgeting goes a long way in ensuring the success of a project. It was recommended that a more comprehensive research covering other states in Nigeria should be carried out so as to contribute to existing knowledge on project management. Keywords: Resource Budgeting, Budgeting, Resource Management, Tools, Project Management

Conflicting Notions of a Project: The Battle Between Albert O. Hirschman and Bent Flyvbjerg

The field of project management has erected an impressive edifice of knowledge that apparently hinders us in learning anything from experience except what we already know. We will use the recent controversy between Hirschman and Flyvbjerg to trace this academic imposition to a narrow notion of a project and to find inspiration in a radically different notion for opening the field to new types of issues and lessons.

BUDGET ASSESSMENT FOR INVESTMENT-CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS (THEORY AND PRACTICE)

The practical value of standards in the field of project management is often discussed by specialists in various fields of project activity. Practicing project managers at the lower and middle levels often complain about the lack of clear and effective tools for solving specific problems of the project management execution. However, the skillful standards application may increase the success likelihood of a wide range of diverse projects with obtaining the expected business values “at the output” of the project. The systematic experience of the best specialists, acquired during the implementation of various projects and placed in the standards, can become the basis for the professional competencies development and the formation of competitive advantages for project companies in various industries. The aim of this study is to establish links between the methods recommended by the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK) for determining the budget of projects and the methods used in practice for determining the cost of construction projects, formalized in the current regulatory documents and state building codes of Ukraine. To this end, the PMBoK standard determined the basic methodological foundations of the project cost management process, its components and characteristic features. Then, based on recent publications and building standards, the main stages of the life cycle of construction projects were established, in which the cost of design work is assessed, the goals of such an assessment and the project participants that carry it out are determined. As a result, a complete methodological identity was established between the project cost estimation methods recommended by the PMBoK standard and the construction cost determination methods specified in the current regulatory documents of the Ukrainian construction industry, which confirms the full suitability of the PMBoK standard for use in construction project management practice. Research findings determine the use of the standard by both novice specialists and qualified project managers of construction projects.

Uncertainty in information system development: Causes, effects, and coping mechanisms

Information system development (ISD) projects are an ever-growing field of project management (PM) with their unique features, and project failures in ISD are relatively common. In the broader context of PM, uncertainty is a studied, yet mercurial phenomenon. By contrast, uncertainty in ISD projects has received relatively little attention from scholars, and PM literature has not systematically focused on uncertainty in ISD from a viewpoint other than that of project managers. In order to understand uncertainties in ISD projects, we need to first understand the causes behind them, their effects on everyday ISD work, and share coping mechanisms utilized among industry professionals. In the context of ISD projects, we set out to explore what causes uncertainty, what are the effects of uncertainty, and how software industry professionals cope with uncertainty. We conducted eleven semi-structured interviews with a diverse range of ISD professionals, and analyzed the interviews using conventional content analysis. Our results extend and complement current knowledge on the causes, effects, and coping mechanisms of uncertainty, especially in the context of ISD. Additionally, we present practical considerations on how to implement our findings into ISD industry and education.

Corporate Governance Issues: Disclosure and Transparency. An Interdisciplinary Approach

Two of the pillars of contemporary corporate governance are examined in this article – disclosure and transparency. Though an interdisciplinary approach, knowledge from different fields of the economic science are brought together in order better clarify the interdependence and the level of interaction between these. Knowledge traditionally considered to be part of the Corporate Governance (disclosure and transparency and what is most modern nowadays - ESG) is examined form the perspective of the governance bodies and other stakeholders, taking into account tools from the fields of sustainable development, project management and marketing. The processes of digitalization also find their reflection in the current article. The case study approach is used to illustrate the interdisciplinary interaction.

Regulatory aspects of import substitution in the oil and gas sector of Russia

The article discusses the legislative and regulatory aspects of import substitution by the example of the Russian oil and gas sector. Moreover, despite the use of standardization tools, including the making of long-term plans for the preparation of national standards, barriers to the successful solution of the import substitution problem arise, caused not only by poorly effective harmonization of standards, but also by significant differences in domestic and foreign regulatory practice of project management approaches. The article presents the results of an analysis of the harmonization of national standardization documents with international analogues carried out in accordance with the Federal Law “On Standardization in the Russian Federation”, the regional legislation of the Eurasian Economic Union, and the norms of the “Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade” of the World Trade Organization. As an example, the work plans of the technical standardization committee 023 “Oil and Gas Industry” for the period from 2009 to 2020 are considered. The authors also defined the risks arising from the established differences, presented directions for improving the development of regulatory documents in the field of project management, contributing to the implementation of the tasks of import substitution in the oil and gas sector.

Formation of competencies in the field of project management for future informatics teachers

The implementation of project management in the education system is impossible without the development of new types of competencies by teachers, which will allow the use of project management methods in professional activities. The article substantiates the need for training teachers who are competent both in managing student projects and in organizing their own project activities, as well as in project activities and project management of an educational institution. The article describes the experience of building competencies in the field of project management among students — future informatics teachers studying in the field of training 44.04.01 “Pedagogical Education” (master’s program “Information Technologies in Education”) at Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University. Based on the requirements of the professional standard 06.016 “Project Manager in the Field of Information Technologies”, the requirements for the competence of specialists in the field of project activities, etc., the author examined indicators for the formation of competency UK-2 “Able to manage a project at all stages of its life cycle” for academic discipline “Project Management in Education”. The methodology of forming competencies in the field of project management in education for masters of teacher education using the digital educational resource developed by the author is highlighted.

An Approach Based on Bayesian Network for Improving Project Management Maturity: An Application to Reduce Cost Overrun Risks in Engineering Projects

The project management field has the imperative to increase the success probability of projects. Experts have developed several Project Management Maturity (PMM) models to assess project management practices and improve the project outcome. However, the current literature lacks models that allow experts to correlate the measured maturity with the expected probability of success. The present paper develops a general framework and a method to estimate the impact of PMM on project performance. It uses Bayesian networks to formalize project management experts’ knowledge and to extract knowledge from a database of past projects. An industrial case concerning large projects in the oil and gas industry is used to illustrate the application of the method to reduce the risk of project cost (or budget) overruns.

Evolution of project management studies in the XXI century

PurposeThe objectives of the study were to demonstrate the suitability of methodology based on a text mining toolset for detecting trends in scientific papers and to find trends that were present in the field of project management during the research time span (2000–2019).Design/methodology/approachAn approach based on text mining tools supported by expert analysis was adopted due to an extensive number of publications in the field of project management. The novelty of the approach lies in the proposed method of trends discovery instead of the commonly used trends predefinition. The use of computer support allowed the full texts of papers, and not only abstracts, to be analysed, which significantly increased the reliability of the achieved results. Overall, 3,544 papers from seven journals were analysed.FindingsAs a result, 43 trends were discovered including seven long-lasting, four declining, 17 emerging and 15 ephemeris trends. Trends were analysed in comparison with the results of previous studies and project management frameworks. New trends and potential gaps were discussed.Originality/valueThe results highlight the topics of research that gain popularity among researchers, and which are related to the current problems that arise in project management. Therefore, the results can help focus studies on the most important areas, as well as find new ones which are not so popular yet. The knowledge of current trends is also important for those project managers who seek to improve the efficiency of their work.

Project-as-Practice: Applying Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice on Project Managers

Researchers have not studied the human side of project managers thoroughly. Decision-making mechanisms lie not only in technocratic knowledge but also in practitioners’ inner cultures and personal lifestyles. Highlighting the human (f)actor behind the strategic decisions made in projects reveals a new path for analyzing project managers. This article applies Bourdieu’s practice theory within the field of project management through a qualitative study into 17 successful and experienced Greek project managers. The results exhibit the common social characteristics of successful project managers and suggest that project managers must be viewed from a sociological perspective as well.

The Correlation Between Leadership Competency and Project Success in Construction Industry in Thailand

This study's main goal is to highlight the significance of implementing competencies in a project environment and underline the attribute of key leadership that is critical for the project's success. The literature review focuses on determining leadership competencies: emotional intelligence, a leadership trait, and transformational leadership and its project success. This research is highlighted; the field of project management is more crucial; it involves integration across the functions with unexpected situation occurrences. This research is representing the view and correlation between leadership competencies such as emotional intelligence, a leadership trait, and transformational leadership with the leadership theories. The research model's methodology with the survey was developed and used the qualitative method to validate, evaluate, and analyze the data. The result of this research is to identify and define the correlation between leadership competencies and project success.

Towards a conceptualization of a social efficiency notion in management sciences

Motivation: In the past, economic efficiency was a key criterion for assessing different types of activities undertaken by various organizations. It has been noticed that acquiring economic efficiency cannot be the only goal, and efficiency notion has many meanings. Processes and projects should be economically effective, at the same time being harmful to different social interests. There are difficulties in understanding and conceptualization of social efficiency notion in management sciences research, and, in particular, in the area of project management. Aim: This research aims to contribute to filling the gap concerning a conceptualization of a social efficiency notion in management sciences, with particular emphasis on the field of project management. Results: Achieving paper goal may simplify communication in the scientific community using the social efficiency concept, exchange of scientific information, further work related to operationalization of this concept and development methods for its measurement. Further work on social efficiency evaluation methods may facilitate considerations regarding the transition from the social efficiency notion phase to the concept phase and the idea of using social points for estimating obtained social effects. This opens the way for the development of more objective measurement principles and methods that do not require monetization of social impact, which is now commonly used e.g. in models like Social Return on Investment.

Bridging the Fields of Careers and Project Management

Bridging the Fields of Careers and Project Management

Safety of the EU Project Management System in Public Universities

Abstract Effective project management requires consideration of aspects such as quality, costs, time, material resources, staff and communication, and risk. In the case of projects co-financed from European Union funds, the main threat is recognition of part or all of the costs as ineligible, which will result in a need to cover them from university's own funds. Therefore, not only successful completion of the project but also financial condition of the university depends on safety level of EU project management system. Main purpose of the study was to indicate actions aimed at increasing safety of EU project management system in public universities. First part of article is theoretical and was prepared based on a critical analysis of the literature in a field of project management. Second part of the text was based on primary data collected during the survey among EU project managers at public technical universities. Literature studies and results of own research have enabled preparation of recommendations to increase the level of safety of project management system co-financed from EU funds at public universities.

Innovation in project management through framing and challenge redefinition

PurposeThis paper investigates the framing and redefinition of innovation challenges as an approach to generate creative solutions in the field of project management.Design/methodology/approachThe study applies the Innovation Challenge Canvas (ICC), a new conceptual model that redefines innovation challenges. The research undertakes a review of the literature in the field of project management, followed by seven in-depth interviews with innovation directors to ascertain the professional view. Finally, usefulness of ICC was tested in three case studies.FindingsAn innovative approach focusing on redefining a challenge instead of proposing solutions to a problem fosters creative thinking and encourages innovative proposals. This ideation challenges the organization's traditional way of managing innovation projects. The ICC provides a better means by which to manage projects that embody high uncertainty, while helping to generate more innovative solutions.Originality/valueThe review of the literature shows that project management has given little attention to the redefining of innovation challenges. This study aims to fill this gap by orienting and adapting the traditional literature on framing to project management. From a practical point of view, the ICC is proposed as a model that can be used to consider the most relevant elements needed to redefine an innovation challenge and enhance the management of those projects.

Managing project complexity: how to cope with multiple dimensions of complex systems

PurposeThis study aimed to contribute to the field of project management (PM) by exploring the elements of project complexity and how individuals respond to such complexity. Multiple dimensions were examined, including technical, human and political dimensions, with a significant impact on project implementation.Design/methodology/approachAn in-depth case study was conducted, focusing on the implementation of a Brazilian hospital. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observation and document analysis. Bridging the research gap involved unraveling the project complexity elements and how to manage them, more specifically in the hospital context.FindingsThe findings revealed that project complexity challenges managers to deal with uncertainties, emergencies and unexpected situations. It implies coping with multiple factors of technical, human and political dimensions. Divergent interests contributed to the formation of coalitions, triggering relevant individual and group learning. Strategic improvisation had a potentially significant response from managers regarding project complexity to make adjustments and changes, focusing on project effectiveness and performance.Practical implicationsThe challenge of managing project complexity is to deal with the balance between structure and improvisation in response to complexity. Flexibility, adaptability, self-organisation and strategic improvisation are key elements in managerial practices that address complexity, especially in hospital projects.Originality/valueThe differentiated approach lies in the proposed model of project complexity, with elements that make up the technical, human and political dimensions, with significant results for complex projects.