Challenges in the Era of Globalization - iaabd

Challenges in the Era of Globalization
Edited by Emmanuel Obuah
knowledge for the curricula of University A to produce graduates with a knowledge base appropriate for
the modern project management environment.
University B
The curricula of the project management qualifications offered by University B yielded an overall score
of 98 out of a possible 100 points. High scores were achieved both on the test items that cover the
fundamental tools of project management – the codified knowledge or ‘hard skills’ – and on the test items
that teach students soft skills or craft knowledge. Only one item did not achieve the highest possible
score.
It does therefore seem as though the project management curricula of University B has moved
significantly towards being appropriate and fully-fledged. The four different domains covered by the
curricula of University B also cover the link made between practitioner development and multiple
practices and project managers as reflective practitioners. However, there is no evidence that the curricula
of University B address multi-project management and communications training.
Although University B is a registered education provider of the PMI it has resisted the temptation to focus
on the execution issues only by including strategic issues, project definition, management of external
factors and human behaviour (Morris et al, 2006). The overall conclusion is that University B has
established a balance between codified knowledge and craft knowledge and that the curricula studied will
produce graduates with a knowledge base appropriate for the modern project management environment.
University C
The curricula of the project management qualifications offered by University C yielded an overall score
of 92 points out of a possible 100 points. High scores were achieved both on the test items that cover the
fundamental tools of project management – the codified knowledge or ‘hard skills’ – and on the test items
that teach students soft skills or craft knowledge. Only one test item (Business fundamentals) achieved the
highest possible score.
University C addresses the necessity for maintaining a critical balance between formal education and
training and ‘action learning’ by including a two day simulation exercise in the curriculum. The
simulation workshop is programmed in artificial intelligence and is a core component of both the practical
and the advanced programme. Team decisions and other random events determine how the project
unfolds during execution by the group. The success of the group project is determined by the extent to
which the group can consistently make good and integrated management decisions.
The overall conclusion is that there is sufficient balance between codified knowledge and craft knowledge
in the curricula of University C to produce graduates with a knowledge base appropriate for the modern
project management environment.
Conclusions
Project management curricula at South African public higher education institutions have generally
not kept up with international trends
The high scores achieved by the curricula of two of the three public higher education institutions indicates
that South African public higher education institutions have started to move away from regarding the
content of the respective bodies of knowledge as an all-encompassing prerequisite for project
management training. However, the influence of the PMBOK® (PMI, 2004) of the Project Management
Institute on project management training at all levels remains overwhelming.
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