Relevance lost! A critical review of project management standardisation

Abstract

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze the consequences of the diffusion of generic project management knowledge. Design/methodology/approach-This paper is conceptual in its nature, using short examples of four different areas (education, research, certification and practice) to show the diffusion of project management knowledge throughout these areas. Findings-In this paper the authors argue that relevance may be lost at two levels. The first loss occurs when the practice of project management is transferred, through generalisation and standardisation, into what is generally known as "Best Practice". The second occurs when "Best Practice" is transferred back to where it is applied (education, research, certification and practice). Research limitations/implications-The risk of losing relevance has consequences for what one bases one's assumptions of the nature of projects upon. If the assumptions are based on standardized knowledge, without critically assessing its correctness, the likelihood of producing less relevant research is higher. Practical implications-With the risk of losing relevance the authors argue that anyone involved in the areas of education, research, certification and practice needs to be cautious of how they perceive and work with the standards. There is a risk that the knowledge becomes even less relevant and students and practitioners are therefore less prepared for reality. Originality/value-This paper is part of the literature critiquing the standardization of project management knowledge but it is distinct in terms of how the diffusion processes are perceived and utilized in a project setting.

Floating in Space? On the Strangeness of Exploratory Projects

“…Case studies are rare and, therefore, we have not developed an understanding of the specific logic underlying the unfolding of exploratory projects. Following Hällgren, Nilsson, Blomquist, and Söderholm (), we believe that this understanding should be grounded in an analysis of what is really going on in projects—that is, of their actuality. The goal of this article is to contribute to the study of exploratory projects by focusing on the actor's practices to manage these “strange” projects.…”

PROJECT HALF DOUBLE: Training practitioners, working with visuals, practice reflections and small and medium-sized enterprises

“…In order to diffuse the use of project management skills without undermining the quality, PRINCE2 and the Global Accreditation Center (GAC) of PMI were established as accrediting and certifying agencies. This means that practitioners are now trained, certified and "credentialized" against an increasingly standardized body of knowledge and sets of competencies (Bredillet, Tywoniak, & Dwivedula, 2015;Crawford et al, 2006;Hodgson & Paton, 2016;Hällgren, Nilsson, Blomquist, & Söderholm, 2012).…”

“…Therefore, it is a growing concern that project management education fails to prepare its students for the circumstances that they face in their everyday working environments. Traditional managerial tools may be insufficient, inadequate and ineffective if not directly harmful when dealing with the complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity of contemporary project contexts (Crawford et al, 2006;Hällgren et al, 2012). It is argued that in these situations successful project managers think and act holistically and may have a natural or learned proactive perspective of what needs to be done (Stevens, Patton, & Cooke-Davies, 2011).…”

Gestionnaires de projet dans les industries créatives : rôles et qualités recherchées

“…Avant d'aborder spécifiquement la documentation sur les gestionnaires de projet au sein des industries créatives, nous proposons de jeter un regard sur la documentation sur le travail des gestionnaires de projet telle que présentée dans les écrits scientifiques en gestion de projet. La référence la plus courante en gestion de projet, le PMBok (PMI, 2018), provient du Project Management Institute et a été adopté comme standard -par le American National Standards -en gestion de projet (Hällgren, Nilsson, Blomquist, & Söderholm, 2012). La section sur le rôle des gestionnaires de projet explique que le rôle de ces derniers varie d'une organisation à l'autre, mais précise que les gestionnaires de projet sont responsables de ce que vont livrer les membres de l'équipe.…”