Assertiveness as a Project Management Competency: A Systematic Review

Encoding and decoding communication competencies in project management ? an exploratory study

Project management (PM) principles are rapidly changing due to business globalization and information technology (IT) advances which support distributed and virtual project teams. Traditional PM focuses on a single project at a single location and is more concerned with project inputs and outputs than with the project work itself. Traditional PM emphasizes scheduling, planning and tracking. The PM paradigm has begun to shift due to the increasing number of distributed projects involving team members from different sites, organizations and cultures. Current and future PM will be more concerned with project work and processes, and collaboration will become essential for success. Academics and practitioners have begun to discuss PM in terms of collaboration; however, there is little agreement as to a definition or interpretation of collaboration. One of the major changes in PM, over the last 25 years, has been the use of computerized tools and methods. In the future, the most significant change in PM may be the use of collaboration. In this article, we provide an explanation of different levels of collaboration, namely the communicative, collective, coordinated and concerted levels. Then we describe a prototype software package called C-PMS (Collaborative Project Management Software) to support 'concerted-level' collaboration among project team members. We believe that C-PMS, which supports all levels of collaboration, especially the concerted level, can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of project managers and team members.

Public sector organisations responsible for infrastructure development in most non‐industrialised countries, which include infrastructure departments/ministries, parastatal organisations and other statutory organisations qualify as project‐oriented organisations (POO). There are strong indications to suggest that these organisations' project management (PM) competencies leave a lot to be desired. At face value they purport to be fully fledged project‐oriented organisations and performing as competent PM organisations, while in reality they are predominantly dependent on accidental project managers. This paper reports on a study that was carried out in one of the large infrastructure departments in South Africa. The focus is on one of the premiere programmes managed by the department. The management of the programme is scrutinised in order to establish the department/ministry's PM competence. An evaluation of the performance of the programme was carried out in relation to the ministry's mandate in order to assess its PM competence. It is found that the programme in its current form could be described as a ‘white elephant’ and a programme that does not have an appropriate organisation structure, nor appropriate and sufficient staff to carry out its objectives. The programme's management system is found to be very poor and at the lowest level of maturity (level 1 out of 5). Recommendations are made that the programme in its current form cannot fulfil its mandate successfully without a fundamental overhaul, addressing its organisational structure, personnel qualifications and programme management system.

The matrix technology for identification of organisational competencies in project management is presented in the article. Matrix elements are the components of organizational competence in the field of project management and project management methodology represented in the structure of the genome. The matrix model of competence in the framework of the adopted methodologies and scanning method for identifying organizational competences formalised. Proposed methods for building effective project management methodologies development organizations assess the competence of organizations in the field of project management, the formation of rational strategies for the development of project management methodologies based on genomic model. Developed a matrix model and scanning technology competency - based organizations methodologies used to ensure the dynamic development organizations through application of the competency approach. The proposed model is a further development of systems for evaluating competence of project managers, project teams and organizations, developed by the International Project Management Association IPMA.

Purpose This study aims to explore the influence of construction project manager competencies on team performance, using structural equation modeling (SEM) within the framework of social information processing theory. It investigates the multidimensional nature of project manager competencies and their impact on team processes and outcomes. Additionally, the study examines the mediating role of team processes in the relationship between competencies and team performance. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on data collected from 483 construction professionals in China, this study uses SEM to analyze the relationships among project manager competencies, team processes and team performance. Findings The results demonstrate a significant and positive effect of competencies on team performance. Specifically, task-related competencies directly contribute to performance, while people-related competencies enhance leader-member relations, and self-related competencies exert a gradual, cumulative influence. Moreover, the research confirms a three-factor competency structure and elucidates the nuanced mediating roles of team learning, monitoring and climate in the competency-performance relationship, shedding light on how specific competencies affect different stages of team development. Originality/value This study contributes to project management literature by applying social information processing theory to elucidate how project managers influence team cognition through competencies. From a practical standpoint, it advocates for a competency-based approach to project manager selection and training, aiming to enhance team performance. Overall, this research advances the understanding of the intricate interplay between project manager competencies and team performance, using SEM and a theoretical perspective rooted in social information processing theory.

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] What is a project? According to the Project Management Institute (2013), a project is "a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result" (p. 553). While the colloquial phrase 'good, fast, and cheap, pick any two' represents the main components of project quality according to most project management research, this study proposes there is something even more influential on project success: people's project preferences. People may ignore what is 'best' for project quality and instead adapt a project to fit their preferences. This sequential mixed methods study addressed people's project preferences through the development of the Project TWIST[trademark] Test. This instrument was designed to measure individuals' preferences for: (a) Tame project type, (b) Wicked project type, (c) Swift project-solving approach, and (d) Thorough project-solving approach. Following McIntire and Miller's (2007) test development process, this study included the development of test items, the piloting of the test by 105 participants, and data analyses needed to select the final items for Project TWIST[trademark] Test. The analyses indicated strong reliability for the test subscales and guided the reduction of test items to twenty per subscale. Additionally, the potential bipolarity of the subscales was explored utilizing Pearson correlations. The Tame/Wicked subscales and Swift/Thorough subscales demonstrated statistically significant, inverse relationships to indicate potential bipolarity. The Project TWIST[trademark] Test has implications for individuals, project leaders, and project team members. The Project TWIST[trademark] Test will help individuals better understand why some projects are enjoyable and successful for them and others are not. Project leaders gain knowledge of people's preferences, which is useful when assigning them to project teams and dealing with interpersonal conflict. Through awareness of others' preferences, project team members can transform bothersome qualities into benefits when

Projects are one of the most important organizational patterns in industry and society. Projects drive change and change takes place in a projectized world. Therefore, project management is a competence field which is required in many areas and on various competence levels. Master education in project management is a special type of delivery for project management competence. It combines a scientific approach with an education for a professional domain. Master programmes are an established way of competence delivery in project management – both for graduate students and professionals. With the ambition to define a European way of Master education in project management, the partners of the consortium of the European Master in Project Management (EuroMPM) developed a portfolio of six Master programmes at different European universities. These programmes are closely interlinked with exchange formats for students, scientists and lecturers, double degrees and a joint research community. The programmes follow a similar philosophy and didactic model. They have a synchronized and aligned curriculum. The intended competence profile for the graduates is aligned, too, while still being differentiated by local specialization modules and different target groups. The comprehensive approach in terms of content development, delivery, didactics, community of practice and intended learning outcomes forms a unique model – the EuroMPM model. This contribution aims to define and describe the EuroMPM model. The intention is to serve as a position paper and starting point for the development of a de-facto standard in project management education on Master level.

Many scholars have criticized formal project management education as being based on various Bodies of Knowledge (BOKs), lacking real-world application and representing a narrow view of the profession. Through a survey questionnaire, this research inquiry has examined the alignment of project management professional needs with the aspirations of project management education within Australian universities. The research findings show positive links between project management education, increased employability, better workplace performance and successful professional careers. However, the research has also identified poor alignment of current project management education in Australian universities with project management practice and recommends possible revision of project management education programs to meet the knowledge requirements expressed by project management professionals. The findings of this research contribute to the debate in respect of bringing project management education closer to project management practice.

Project management and sustainable development are ones of the most important concepts that have gained great popularity in the scientific community in recent years. The need to integrate sustainability into project management is increasing every year changing the requirements for project managers’ competencies. Despite of the growing scientific interest in this topic, there is a small number of research papers that consider the impact of the concept of sustainability on the competences of a project manager. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify the most important knowledge, skills and abilities and personal qualities needed by project managers for successful sustainable project management. The research is based on the analysis of the sources of scientific literature, international, and national standards in the field of project management. The results showed that over the past 5 years the project manager profession has undergone significant changes, and in order to achieve sustainability project managers need to develop new professional competencies based on knowledge, skills and abilities, and personal qualities.

Although project management is widely used in the public sector, many projects still fail even when project management tools and practices are employed. Several studies show that a project's success depends partly on the project manager's competencies; however, there is little empirical research on this subject in the public sector. This study aims to analyze the significant characteristics linked with the competencies of the public sector project manager and outlines a profile of these professional competencies characteristics that can lead to the success of projects. Through empirical research conducted with 77 project managers from 32 public organizations in Brazil, this study examined the relationship between project managers' competencies and the likelihood that projects will succeed. Using factor analysis and logistic regression, we looked at factors like time, cost, quality, and scope to determine their relationship to the likelihood that projects will succeed. The findings highlight the importance of project management knowledge, communication abilities, attitudes relating to motivation, trust, and emotional intelligence, and most traits defining project managers in the public sector. The employee's length of service was the single factor that had a negative impact on the project's outcomes. This study contributes to the current knowledge of project managers' competencies in the public sector, showing the main characteristics a successful project manager needs to have and can help direct efforts in selecting a more suitable professional, contributing to the reduction of the turnover of the workforce and the consequent loss of knowledge of the organization.

This study, grounded in the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory, investigates the mediating role of talent management in the relationship between project manager competencies and sustainable competitive advantages. The Ghana construction industry faces various challenges, including project delays, budget overruns, and compromised quality, mainly due to inadequate talent management practices and underutilization of project manager competencies. Using the convenience sampling technique, the study used a valid response of 373 from project managers in the Ghanaian construction industry. The study employed Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) using AMOS 20 to analyze the relationships. The findings revealed a positive and significant relationship between project manager competencies and sustainable competitive advantages, as well as a positive and significant relationship between project manager competencies and talent management. The study revealed that talent management partially mediates the relationship between project manager competencies and sustainable competitive advantages. Project managers should balance competencies development and strategic initiatives carefully, ensuring that project manager competencies are aligned with and support long-term competitive positioning without inadvertently diminishing sustainable competitive advantages.

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of project manager’s competence on implementation of mobile banking projects in commercial banks in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population was mobile banking projects from six Tire one commercial banks in Nairobi County. The unit of observation comprised of 244 project officers. Stratified random sampling method was used to select 149 respondents. Primary data was obtained using semi- structured questionnaires. In analyzing qualitative data, thematic analysis was applied. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The findings indicated that project manager competence and implementation of mobile banking project in commercial banks are directly and significantly associated (r=0.737, p=0.000). Therefore, it can be concluded that project manager competence is important when implementing mobile banking projects. The project manager should possess effective project management skills, leadership skills, technical skills and analytical skills to be able to effectively deliver mobile banking projects. The experience of the project manager is also critical in ensuring successful implementation of mobile banking projects. Consequently, the research concluded that project manager competence has a positive and significant contribution to project implementation in the context of mobile banking projects by commercial banks in Nairobi County, Kenya.

Providing structured yet adaptable models of project success within an organization, A Standard for Enterprise Project Management explains each of the basic elements needed for project success and integrates them into a balanced life-cycle continuum. It also supplies an inventory of practical policies, procedures, techniques, and templates for consistent management of projects. The book first discusses project authorization and initiation, followed by analysis and planning. It then covers execution, control, and closure. Each phase contains an explanation and an illustration of how to optimize success. Throughout the text, the author refers to numerous appendices that constitute both blank and completed templates. He provides details on how to use these tools, with an emphasis on balancing the benefits of standardization and the need for flexibility. The accompanying downloadable resources encompass a color version of the book with four bonus features: Quick start with Project 2003 that offers a one-page tutorial and three pages of screen prints designed to quickly generate readable and concise project plans Complex project readiness grid that suggests how to manage intricate interrelationships in a project or program environment Project management competency development grid that outlines a program for developing key skills among project managers within an organization Traceability matrix that illustrates how various levels of requirements and final solutions are interrelated This book offers a painless guide to quickly getting business initiatives out of the clouds and onto the ground. Blending the rigor and discipline of project management with the thoroughness of business analysis, it shows how to successfully build, complement, and enhance project management and business analysis in any organization.

Project manager competency is a key factor determining the success of a project. With the deterioration of the environment, green buildings have come into being. Compared to traditional buildings, green buildings encounter more complex problems during the construction process, and project managers are faced with greater challenges. Existing research on the evaluation of project manager competency based on green building construction (GBC) is scarce. Thus, the aim of this paper is to evaluate project manager competency for green construction. By means of a literature review and a focus group meeting, the key success factors of green buildings and project manager competency were determined. Thereafter, a questionnaire survey was used to investigate people’s understanding of the importance of project manager skills. Structural equation modeling was selected to test the hypotheses. The results demonstrate that China is in the infancy of GBC development. Leadership and organization, target management, and emotional intelligence of project managers are considered to be important factors that affect green construction performance. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the selection of excellent project managers for GBC.

PurposeBusiness process re-engineering (BPR) initiatives are complex endeavours which require many factors to ensure success. However, most studies focus on the organisational processes and improvement within the organisation itself and less on the project team and management dynamics. The study aimed to identify factors that enabled the completion of a BPR, in a technical firm, based on reflections on the project management style.Design/methodology/approachThe study entailed a descriptive and interpretive case study with reflections from project team members. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis.FindingsFindings revealed that critical success factors for BPR in a technical firm include project leadership and sponsorship, organisational culture and attributes, team dynamics and the nature (activities), and duration of the process.Practical implicationsThe findings will benefit project managers in improving their competence and project success through reflective practice. The identified factors could be used in future projects of a similar nature and size to improve how organisations execute BPR projects.Originality/valueThe study used reflections to identify success factors for BPR in a technical firm.