The evolution of the project management competence concept
A systematic literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14267/VEZTUD.2024.07-08.02Keywords:
project management, project management competence, systematic literature reviewAbstract
This research aims to get closer to the definition of project management (PM) competence and understand its models by conducting a systematic literature review (SLR). The focus of this study is on the individual level PM competence of the project manager and the project team members. The paper introduces the competence models of the most important project management standards, which provide a guideline for professionals and serve as a base for the different PM qualifications. The literature review reveals which PM competence groups and elements have become the focus of attention in certain periods, which new competences have been uncovered, how the concept models have changed (in their professional content and regarding their structure), and how these results could be built into the upcoming standards and how they could shape the concept of project management competence in the future and serve as a basis for new research.
Downloads
References
Ahsan, K., Ho, M., & Khan, S. (2013). Recruiting project managers: A comparative analysis of competencies and recruitment signals from job advertisements. Project Management Journal, 44(5), 36–54. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.21366
Alam, M., Gale, A., Brown, M., & Kidd, C. (2008). The development and delivery of an industry-led Project Management Professional Development Programme: A case study in Project Management Education and Success Management. International Journal of Project Management, 26(3), 223–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2007.12.005
Amaro, F., & Domingues, L. (2023). PMBOK 6th meets 7th: How to link both guides in order to support project tailoring? Procedia Computer Science, 219, 1877– 1884. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2023.01.486
Ballesteros-Sánchez, L., Ortiz-Marcos, I., & Rodríguez- Rivero, R. (2019). The impact of executive coaching on Project Managers’ personal competencies. Project Management Journal, 50(3), 306–321. https://doi.org/10.1177/8756972819832191
Berényi, L., Blaskovics, B., & Deutsch, N. (2017). Developing project management teaching: evidence from a Hungarian experiment. International Journal of Education and Information Technologies, 11, 143-152. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326464577_Developing_project_management_teaching_evidence_from_a_Hungarian_experiment
Birkett, W.P. (1993). Competency based standards for professional accountants in Australia and New Zealand Discussion Paper. Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants.
Blackburn, S. (2002). The project manager and the Project- Network. International Journal of Project Management, 20(3), 199–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0263-7863(01)00069-2
Boak, G. (1991). Three dimensions of personal development. Industrial and Commercial Training, 23(5). https://doi.org/10.1108/00197859110135587
Boyatzis, R.E. (1982). The competent manager: A model for effective performance. John Wiley and Sons. Bredillet, C., Tywoniak, S., & Dwivedula, R. (2015). What is a good project manager? An Aristotelian perspective. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2), 254266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2014.04.001
Buganza, T., Kalchschmidt, M., Bartezzaghi, E., & Amabile, D. (2013). Measuring the impact of a major project management educational program: The PMP case in Finmeccanica. International Journal of Project Management, 31(2), 285–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2012.07.003
Chen, P., & Partington, D. (2006). Three conceptual levels of construction project management work. International Journal of Project Management, 24(5), 412–421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2006.02.009
Chen, P., Partington, D., & Wang, J.N. (2008). Conceptual determinants of Construction Project Management Competence: A Chinese perspective. International Journal of Project Management, 26(6), 655–664. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2007.09.002
Clarke, N. (2010). Emotional intelligence and its relationship to transformational leadership and key project 41(2), 5-20. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.20162
Córdoba, J.R., & Piki, A. (2012). Facilitating project management education through groups as Systems. International Journal of Project Management, 30(1), 83–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2011.02.011
Crawford, L. (2005). Senior management perceptions of project management competence. International Journal of Project Management, 23(1), 7–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2004.06.005
Crawford, L., & Nahmias, A.H. (2010). Competencies for managing change. International Journal of Project Management, 28(4), 405-412. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2010.01.015
Dainty, A., Cheng, M.I., & Moore, D. (2005). A comparison of the behavioral competencies of client-focused and production-focused project managers in the construction sector. Project Management Journal, 36(2), 39–48. https://doi.org/10.1177/875697280503600205
Dillon, S., & Taylor, H. (2015). Employing grounded theory to uncover behavioral competencies of Information Technology Project Managers. Project Management Journal, 46(4), 90–104. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.21511
do Vale, J.W., Nunes, B., & de Carvalho, M.M. (2018). Project managers’ competences: What Do Job Advertisements and the Academic Literature Say? Project Management Journal, 49(3), 82–97. https://doi.org/10.1177/8756972818770884
Eraut, M.R. (1994). Developing professional knowledge and competence. Routledge.
Faerman, S.R., Quinn, R.E., Thompson, M.P., & McGrath, M.R. (1990). Supervising New York state: A framework for excellence. Governor’s Office of Employee Relations.
Geoghegan, L., & Dulewicz, V. (2008). Do project managers’ leadership competencies contribute to project success? Project Management Journal, 39(4), 58-67. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.20084
Gruden, N., & Stare, A. (2018). The influence of behavioral competencies on Project Performance. Project Management Journal, 49(3), 98–109. https://doi.org/10.1177/8756972818770841
Gupta, A. (2020) Accelerating Remote Work After COVID-19. COVID Recovery Symposium 30.04. 2020.
Havila, V., Medlin, C.J., & Salmi, A. (2013). Project-ending competence in premature project closures. International Journal of Project Management, 31(1), 90-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2012.05.001
International Project Management Association (2015). IPMA International Competence Baseline (4. ed.). The Netherlands: International Project Management Association (IPMA).
Iyer, K.C., & Jha, K.N. (2005). Factors affecting cost performance: evidence from Indian construction projects. International Journal of Project Management, 23(4), 283295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2004.10.003
Kitchenham, B. (2004). Procedures for performing systematic reviews. Keele University.
Klink, M.R., & Boon, J. (2003). Competencies: The triumph of a fuzzy concept. International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 3(2), 125. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijhrdm.2003.002415
Le Deist, F.D., & Winterton, J. (2005). What is competence? Human Resource Development International, 8(1), 27–46. https://doi.org/10.1080/1367886042000338227
Li, Y., Sun, T., Shou, Y., & Sun, H. (2020). What makes a competent international project manager in emerging and developing countries? Project Management Journal, 51(2), 181–198. https://doi.org/10.1177/8756972820901387
Lin, T.C., Chen, C.M., Hsu, J.S.C., & Fu, T.W. (2015). The impact of team knowledge on problem solving competence in Information Systems Development Team. International Journal of Project Management, 33(8), 1692–1703. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2015.07.007
Loufrani-Fedida, S., & Missonier, S. (2015). The project manager cannot be a hero anymore! Understanding critical competencies in project-based organizations from a multilevel approach. International Journal of Project Management, 33(6), 1220–1235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2015.02.010
Mangham, I.L. (1986). In search of competence. Journal of General Management, 12(2), 5–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/030630708601200201
Manpower Services Commission (1986). SASU Note 16: guidance on designing modules for accreditation. Standards and Assessment Support Unit.
Marhraoui, M.A. (2023). Digital skills for project managers: A systematic literature review. Procedia Computer Science, 219, 1591–1598. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2023.01.451
Mazur, A.K., & Pisarski, A. (2015). Major Project Managers’ internal and external stakeholder relationships: The development and validation of measurement scales. International Journal of Project Management, 33(8), 1680–1691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2015.07.008
Mazur, A., Pisarski, A., Chang, A., & Ashkanasy, N.M. (2014). Rating defence major project success: The role of personal attributes and stakeholder relationships. International Journal of Project Management, 32(6), 944–957. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2013.10.018
McClelland, D. (1976). A guide to job competency assessment. McBer & Co.
Morris, P.W.G., Crawford, L., Hodgson, D., Shepherd, M.M., & Thomas, J. (2006). Exploring the role of formal bodies of knowledge in defining a profession – the case of Project Management. International Journal of Project Management, 24(8), 710–721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2006.09.012
Morris, P.W., Crawford, L., Hodgson, D., Shepherd, M.M., & Thomas, J. (2006). Exploring the role of formal bodies of knowledge in defining a profession – The case of project management. International Journal of Project Management, 24(8), 710-721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2006.09.012
Müller, R., & Turner, J.R. (2007). Matching the project manager’s leadership style to project type. International Journal of Project Management, 25(1), 21-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2006.04.003
Müller, R., & Turner, R. (2010). Leadership competency profiles of successful project managers. International Journal of Project Management, 28(5), 437-448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2009.09.003
New Zealand Qualification Authority (1997). New Zealand Qualification Authority. Government Printer.
Nijhuis, S., Vrijhoef, R., & Kessels, J. (2018). Tackling project management competence research. Project Management Journal, 49(3), 62–81. https://doi.org/10.1177/8756972818770591
Nuti, L., Turkcan, A., Lawley, M.A., Zhang, L., Sands, L., & McComb, S. (2015). The impact of interventions on appointment and clinical outcomes for individuals with diabetes: A systematic review. BMC Health Services Research, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-015-0938-5
Okoli, C. (2015). A guide to conducting a standalone systematic literature review. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 37, 43–52. https://doi.org/10.17705/1cais.03743
Okoli, C., & Schabram, K. (2010). A guide to conducting a systematic literature review of Information Systems Research. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1954824
Parry, S.B. (1996). Just What Is a Competency? (And Why Should You Care?). Training, 35(6), 58-64.
Pinto J.K. & Kharbanda, O.P. (1995). Lessons for an accidental profession. Business Horizons, 38(2), 41–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/0007-6813(95)90054-3
Pinto, J.K., Patanakul, P., & Pinto, M.B. (2017). The aura of capability: Gender bias in selection for a project manager job. International Journal of Project Management, 35(3), 420–431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2017.01.004
Project Management Institute (2008). Construction Extension to the PMBOK Guide (3rd ed.). Project Management Institute.
Project Management Institute (2013). Software Extension to PMBOK® Guide (5th ed.). Project Management Institute.
Project Management Institute (2017a). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th ed.). Project Management Institute.
Project Management Institute (2017b). Project Manager Competency Development Framework (3rd ed.). Project Management Institute.
Project Management Institute (2018). About standards. Project Management Institute. https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/about
Project Management Institute (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (7th ed.). Project Management Institute.
Project Management Institute (2022). The PMI Talent Triangle® – Navigate our Profession’s Evolving Landscape with Confidence. https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/certifications/talent-triangle-flyer.pdf
Robotham, D., & Jubb, R. (1996). Competences: Measuring the unmeasurable. Management Development Review, 9(5), 25- 29. https://doi.org/10.1108/09622519610131545
Salman, M., Ganie, S.A., & Saleem, I. (2020). The concept of competence: A thematic review and discussion. European Journal of Training and Development, 44(6/7), 717742. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-10-2019-0171
Skulmoski, G.J., & Hartman, F.T. (2010). Information systems project manager soft competencies: A project-phase investigation. Project Management Journal, 41(1), 6180. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.20146
Spencer, L.M., & Spencer, S.M. (1993). Competence at work. John Wiley & Sons.
Stevenson, D.H., & Starkweather, J.A. (2010). PM critical competency index: IT execs prefer soft skills. International Journal of Project Management, 28(7), 663–671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2009.11.008
Stevenson, D.H., & Starkweather, J.A. (2010). PM critical competency index: IT execs prefer soft skills. International Journal of Project Management, 28(7), 663-671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2009.11.008
Stretton, A. (1995). Australian competency standards. International Journal of Project Management, 13(2), 119–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/0263-7863(94)00012-2
Szabó, L., & Csepregi, A. (2011). Competences found important for knowledge sharing: investigation of middle managers working at medium-and large-sized enterprises. IUP Journal of Knowledge Management, 9(3). https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2060860
Turner, J.R., & Müller, R. (2005). The project manager’s leadership style as a success factor on projects: A literature review. Project Management Journal, 36(2), 49-61. https://doi.org/10.1177/875697280503600206
Vom Brocke, J., Simons, A., Niehaves, B., Riemer, K., Plattfaut, R., & Cleven, A. (2009). Reconstructing the giant: on the importance of rigour in documenting the literature search process. ECIS. Verona: 17th European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS).
Wen, Q., & Qiang, M. (2019). Project managers’ competences in managing project closing. Project Management Journal, 50(3), 361–375. https://doi.org/10.1177/8756972819832783
White, R. (1959). Motivation reconsidered: the concept of competence. Psychological Review, 66, 279 –333. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0040934
Winterton, J., & Winterton, R. (1999). Developing managerial competence. Routledge.
Woodruffe, C. (1993). What is meant by a competency? Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 14(1), 29–36. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb053651
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Vezetéstudomány / Budapest Management Review
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors assign copyright to Vezetéstudomány / Budapest Management Review. Authors are responsible for permission to reproduce copyright material from other sources.
