Development of a New Competence and Behaviour Model for Skills in Working with People for Project Managers

This chapter provides an introduction to the context of this current research, its main purpose, aims and objectives, the research process and scope, and an outline plan of this thesis (Figure 1.1).

Project management has been around for a long time. Morris (1994, p.1) considers that ‘Managing projects is one of the oldest and most respected accomplishments of mankind. We stand in awe of the achievements of the builders of the pyramids, the architects of ancient sites, the masons and craftsmen of great cathedrals and mosques, of the might and labour behind the Great Wall of China and other wonders of the world. Today’s projects, too, command our attention. We were riveted at the sight of Americans landing on the moon. We are impressed as a new computer system comes on line or as a spectacular entertainment unfolds’. He goes on to suggest that all of these endeavours are projects and that the skills required to manage these are not well-known other than to the specialists concerned. Morris (1994) suggests that our knowledge of project management can make a major contribution to management at large. Project management has not been recognised as a central discipline for very long. He reports that industrial companies now use project management as their principal management style. ‘Management by projects has become a powerful way to integrate organisational functions and motivate groups to achieve higher levels of performance and productivity’ (Morris, 1994, p.1).

In contrast, Hodgson and Cicmil (2006) suggest that projects appear to be not real and that people should not ‘jump straight into defining what a project is and what it is not (Stacey, 2000,p.2)-and to move swiftly on to how it is, therefore, to be modelled and managed. Their mission is to provide space outside of the tightly defined and densely populated conceptual landscape of mainstream project management, space where other perspectives, other concerns and other agendas may be articulated and explored. They organised two workshops in 2003 and 2004, with the explicit aim to make projects critical. The workshops brought together a diverse community of researchers and practitioners from Europe, North America and Australasia with a common interest in considering vital issues and values which are both ignored and obscured by mainstream project management. ‘By mainstream, we particularly mean the prescriptions related to managerial skills and competencies that are offered to practitioners in the vast number of project management texts in existence’ (Hodgson and Cicmil, 2006, p.2).