The growing penetration of projects as a way of organising work in many organisations has created a shortcoming between what companies expect in terms of project delivery and the way in which their project managers execute projects. The constantly changing demands have created a need for project managers to manage the people in their projects more effectively to meet these expectations. A review of the general and project management literature has revealed that a shortcoming exists and the nature of this shortcoming. What used to be appropriate skills in working with people are no longer adequate now that working practices are changing in response to increases in pressures to achieve better results. This thesis has developed a competence and behaviour model for skills in working with people for project managers that provides the means to fill the shortcoming.
The exploration to develop this model has taken place mainly through interviews with project managers from the community of practice in United Kingdom organisations, supplemented by the participatory research observations of the researcher as a practising project management professional. The research focus was on the impact humans make in the activities of project management, within a socially constructed world. The research considered competences and behaviours of skills in working with people for project managers and, therefore, had to deal with the meaning that people put on their observations. As a consequence, their descriptions have been collected, analysed and interpreted by applying a constructivist interpretivist approach within a phenomenological research paradigm. The results from this study are of interest to both academics and the community of practice in project management. The new competence and behaviour model of skills in working with people for project managers can be incorporated in future editions of bodies of knowledge such as those promoted by the PMI, APM or IPMA, and other people competence models in the area of general management.
Table of Contents
1. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Context of this Research
1.2 The Purpose of the Research and its Aims and Objectives
1.3 The Research Process
1.4 The Research Scope
2. CHAPTER 2: FRAMEWORK FOR THESIS
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Definitions of Competence, Competency, Competencies, Attitudes and Behaviours
2.3 Does a Change in Attitude lead to a Change in Behaviour?
2.4 Overview of APM BoK (2000, 2006) Competence Model 1
2.5 Other Frameworks
2.6 Review of Links: APM (2000, 2006), IPMA (1999), PMI (2004) and Crawford (2000)
3. CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEWS
3.1 Introduction
3.2 The Nature of a General and Project Management Literature Review
3.3 Management Books and Journals Pre-1990
3.4 Project Management Books and Journals Pre-1990
3.5 Other Related Research Contributions
3.6 Conclusions
4. CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH DESIGN
4.1 Introduction
4.2 The Research Paradigms of Positivism and Phenomenology
4.3 The Ontological and Epistemological Positions of the Researcher
4.4 Research Questions
4.5 Research Design
4.6 Research Methods
4.7 Conclusions
5. CHAPTER 5: INTERVIEWS
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Critical Review of Data from Interviews
5.3 Conclusions from Interviews and Competence and Behaviour Model 3
6. CHAPTER 6: FOCUS GROUP
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Critical Review of Data from Focus Group Meeting
6.3 Focus Group Conclusions and Triangulation of Data (Model 4)
7. CHAPTER 7: CONFIRMATION OF COMPETENCE AND BEHAVIOUR MODEL 5
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Results of Critical Review of Model 4 with Community of Practice
7.3 Conclusions from Critical Review Meeting (Model 5)
8. CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSIONS
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Research Questions Revisited
8.3 Research Objectives Revisited
8.4 Training and Development for Project Managers
8.5 Potential Applications of new Competence and Behaviour Model 5
9. CHAPTER 9: RESEARCH LIMITATIONS
9.1 Limited Context
9.2 Research Limitations
9.3 Potential for Further Research
Objectives & Themes
The primary objective of this thesis is to address the identified shortfall between the expected project delivery by companies and the actual execution by project managers in a rapidly changing business environment. The study seeks to answer how project managers can more effectively manage their teams by developing a new competence and behaviour model that bridges this gap, focusing specifically on human-centric skills and behavioural patterns essential for modern project management.
- The evolution of project management from a task-oriented to a people-focused discipline.
- The critical role of soft skills, such as emotional intelligence, communication, and conflict management.
- The influence of organizational and national culture on project management practices.
- The methodology of constructivist interpretivist research within a phenomenological paradigm.
- The transition from traditional hierarchical management to matrix-type, cross-functional team structures.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Introduction
The purpose of this chapter is to report on the outcomes of the literature reviews for the general and project management publications and other related research contributions, and to confirm whether a shortfall exists between what the researcher perceives used to be considered appropriate skills in working with people project managers applied in the past and what people skills project managers need to have in future, due to the changes in working practices that changed as a result of increases in pressure to achieve better results, and to develop a new competence and behaviour model that will provide the means to fill this shortfall (final version is presented in Chapter 8).
It is useful at this point to put the literature review in context to reflect on the fact that project management has been around since the beginning of time (Chapter 1). The Pyramids of Egypt are just one example of good and effective project management through planning and execution to construct these (Morris, 1994). During the 1960s, business managers began searching for new techniques and organisational structures that would help them adapt quickly to changing environments (Fayol, 1949; Davis, 1951; Fisch, 1961 and Ansoff,1957).In the 1970s and 1980s more data was published on project management (Stallworthy and Kharbanda, 1983; Andersen, Grude and Haug, 1984; Deming, 1986 and Kerzner, 1987), leading to the development of theories, methods and standards. According to Turner (1993), the 1960s were years of mass production and high production rates were achieved but at the expense of quality. During the 1970s, companies strove more for quality by imposing uniformity, and by restricting their product range. In the 1980s the emphasis shifted to variety. Flexible manufacturing systems were introduced.
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the research context, purpose, and objectives, highlighting the shift in project management towards more people-centric approaches.
CHAPTER 2: FRAMEWORK FOR THESIS: This chapter defines key concepts such as competence, attitude, and behaviour, and establishes the foundation for the new model by critiquing existing frameworks.
CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEWS: This chapter synthesizes previous research to demonstrate the widening shortfall in people management skills among project managers across different time frames.
CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH DESIGN: This chapter explains the choice of a constructivist interpretivist research approach within a phenomenological paradigm to validate the study.
CHAPTER 5: INTERVIEWS: This chapter reports on findings from face-to-face interviews with practitioners, providing qualitative data on how they manage people in their daily work.
CHAPTER 6: FOCUS GROUP: This chapter presents the data gathered from focus group sessions, which was then triangulated with other research findings to refine the proposed models.
CHAPTER 7: CONFIRMATION OF COMPETENCE AND BEHAVIOUR MODEL 5: This chapter confirms the validity of the final model through feedback from the community of practice.
CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSIONS: This chapter revisits the research objectives and questions, offering a final summary of the proposed competences and their application.
CHAPTER 9: RESEARCH LIMITATIONS: This chapter discusses the limitations of the current research, including its context, and suggests potential avenues for future studies.
Keywords
Project Management, Competence Model, Soft Skills, Human Resource Management, Leadership, Conflict Management, Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Awareness, Behavioural Characteristics, Constructivist Interpretivism, Phenomenology, Team Building, Professionalism, Change Management, Organisational Culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research focuses on identifying and closing the shortfall between the traditional technical skills expected of project managers and the modern requirement for effective "people management" skills in changing business environments.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The main themes include competence frameworks, human-centric management, the role of leadership in modern cross-functional teams, and the necessity of aligning behavioural traits with project outcomes.
What is the main goal of this thesis?
The primary goal is to develop an evidence-based competence and behaviour model that equips project managers to effectively manage people in their projects, moving beyond simple task management.
Which methodology is employed in this study?
The researcher uses a qualitative, constructivist interpretivist approach within a phenomenological paradigm, relying on interviews and focus groups with experienced project managers.
What does the main part of the thesis cover?
The main part encompasses an extensive literature review across three decades, primary data collection through interviews and focus groups, and the development and subsequent refinement of several competence and behaviour models.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include project management, competence, behavioural characteristics, soft skills, and organizational change.
How does cultural awareness influence the proposed model?
The research identifies cultural awareness as a critical component, suggesting that project managers must adapt their behaviours to suit global teams and avoid "one-size-fits-all" approaches.
Why are "soft skills" considered essential for future project managers?
According to the thesis, soft skills—such as emotional intelligence and effective communication—are the "lubricant" for social interaction and are vital for managing teams in increasingly unstable, project-based organizations where direct control over resources is limited.
- Citar trabajo
- Dr Eddie Fisher (Autor), 2006, Development of a new competence and behaviour model for skills in working with people for project managers, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/86849
