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Challenges in the Era of Globalization - iaabd

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<strong>Challenges</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Era</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Globalization</strong><br />

Edited by Emmanuel Obuah<br />

extended/adapted <strong>the</strong>ir project management curricula to accommodate <strong>the</strong> issues identified <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> EPSRC study and o<strong>the</strong>r relevant research.<br />

Background to <strong>the</strong> epsrc study and o<strong>the</strong>r related Literature<br />

The EPSRC Network was established firstly to create a multi-discipl<strong>in</strong>ary network <strong>of</strong> academics,<br />

researchers and practitioners <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> develop<strong>in</strong>g project management and <strong>the</strong> practice <strong>the</strong>re<strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong>dustry and secondly to def<strong>in</strong>e and identify a new <strong>in</strong>terdiscipl<strong>in</strong>ary research agenda aimed at enrich<strong>in</strong>g<br />

and extend<strong>in</strong>g project management beyond its current foundations (Reth<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g Project Management,<br />

2006). The core philosophy beh<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong> network was to l<strong>in</strong>k <strong>the</strong>ory and practice through an organised<br />

process <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>teraction between academics and practitioners. The objective <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> EPSRC study was to<br />

develop a research agenda that would allow <strong>the</strong> field <strong>of</strong> project management to develop beyond <strong>the</strong><br />

conceptual foundations that existed at <strong>the</strong> time – a conceptual base that attracts criticism for its lack <strong>of</strong><br />

relevance to practice (W<strong>in</strong>ter, Smith, Morris and Cicmil, 2006); ‘extend<strong>in</strong>g and enrich<strong>in</strong>g ma<strong>in</strong>stream<br />

project management <strong>the</strong>ory <strong>in</strong> relation to <strong>the</strong> develop<strong>in</strong>g practice’ (W<strong>in</strong>ter and Smith, 2005). The<br />

underly<strong>in</strong>g learn<strong>in</strong>g process <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> network was structured as a learn<strong>in</strong>g system (W<strong>in</strong>ter, Smith, Cooke-<br />

Davies and Cicmil, 2006), <strong>in</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r words <strong>in</strong> l<strong>in</strong>e with <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>ciple <strong>of</strong> s<strong>of</strong>t systems th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

An <strong>in</strong>terim report <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Network was published <strong>in</strong> May 2005 (W<strong>in</strong>ter and Smith, 2005) with a clearly<br />

stated objective <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g a first attempt to identify what <strong>the</strong> research directions and possible areas for<br />

future research might be. It clarifies <strong>the</strong> ‘reth<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g’ process as a sensemak<strong>in</strong>g process <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> light <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

social nature <strong>of</strong> projects and <strong>the</strong> people <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Network. Three levels <strong>of</strong> sensemak<strong>in</strong>g were<br />

identified, namely (1) Mak<strong>in</strong>g sense <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> meet<strong>in</strong>g content; (2) Mak<strong>in</strong>g sense <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> network content; (3)<br />

Mak<strong>in</strong>g sense <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> network process<br />

The <strong>in</strong>terim report presented five directions <strong>of</strong> new thought for extend<strong>in</strong>g and enrich<strong>in</strong>g ma<strong>in</strong>stream<br />

project management <strong>the</strong>ory: (1) From Lifecycle <strong>the</strong>ory <strong>of</strong> projects towards Complexity <strong>the</strong>ories <strong>of</strong><br />

projects; (2) From S<strong>in</strong>gle practice towards Multiple practices; (3) From Product creation towards Value<br />

creation; (4) From Narrow conceptualisation towards Broad conceptualisation; (5) From Tra<strong>in</strong>ed<br />

technicians towards Reflective practitioners.<br />

The five directions were l<strong>in</strong>ked to <strong>the</strong> seven areas <strong>of</strong> concern as a start<strong>in</strong>g po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

new research agenda. Of relevance to this article is <strong>the</strong> l<strong>in</strong>k made between practitioner development as <strong>the</strong><br />

seventh area <strong>of</strong> concern, multiple practices (<strong>the</strong> different levels at which project management is practiced<br />

and <strong>the</strong> diversity <strong>of</strong> roles result<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a variety <strong>of</strong> needs for practitioner development) and reflective<br />

practitioners (<strong>in</strong> order to enhance <strong>in</strong>dividual capabilities to deal with uncerta<strong>in</strong>ty and <strong>the</strong> unique aspects <strong>of</strong><br />

projects).<br />

Smith and W<strong>in</strong>ter (2005) identified what seemed to be a conflict between <strong>the</strong> knowledge requirements <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> current bodies <strong>of</strong> knowledge and <strong>the</strong> broader areas <strong>of</strong> knowledge that would <strong>in</strong>clude ‘craft knowledge.<br />

They identified three concerns about <strong>the</strong> tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and development <strong>of</strong> project managers, namely an<br />

‘excessive focus’ on methods and tools ra<strong>the</strong>r than craft knowledge, a ‘dislocation’ between tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g,<br />

development and practice and an ‘excessive focus’ on acquir<strong>in</strong>g knowledge at <strong>the</strong> expense <strong>of</strong> capability<br />

development.<br />

In <strong>the</strong> f<strong>in</strong>al report <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Network, W<strong>in</strong>ter and Smith (2006) <strong>the</strong> issues that arose regard<strong>in</strong>g education,<br />

tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and development were: (1) recognis<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> develop<strong>in</strong>g craft capability, and (2)<br />

knowledge acquisition and <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> capability <strong>in</strong> new knowledge areas. Two key <strong>in</strong>sights were<br />

that project management rema<strong>in</strong>s more <strong>of</strong> a craft than a science, and that <strong>the</strong>re is potential to develop a<br />

new strand <strong>of</strong> project management methodology for <strong>the</strong> not-for-pr<strong>of</strong>it and charity sectors that is not based<br />

on <strong>the</strong> traditional triple constra<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>of</strong> time, cost and quality.<br />

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