Abstract
Purpose. Complex research projects, such as those regarding flight missions, are characterized by advanced technical-scientific goals, interactive teamwork, and financial or temporal constraints. Their management is based on formal project management (PM) methodologies, that offer the advantage that tasks are assigned and monitored with precision but the burden of formal duties can make interactions between researchers less effective. As the studies of Knowledge Management (KM) show, researchers need a rich exchange of knowledge and a process of mutual learning to find innovative solutions in areas of scientific forefront. In addition, new web 2.0 technologies give the opportunity to interact and exchange complex contents. Consequently, while PM methodologies remain an essential tool for researchers, there is the need to identify novel approaches that enable more effective knowledge exchanges for technical/scientific purposes. To contribute to a better understanding of these issues, this study examines if traditional PM approaches are an “automatic” solution adopted by any research team, or if researchers would spontaneously prefer more flexible ways to manage knowledge exchanges and interactions.
Design/methodology/approach. The paper investigates the “basic KM needs” that emerge from inexpert researchers working in complex projects. These researchers, being less conditioned by standard PM methodologies used in complex organizations, can have more propensity for the exploration of new ways to interact. At the same time, this analysis can point out the real perceptions of novice researchers about the necessity of a structured PM approach. In detail, the case study of a research team of Engineering post-graduate students, competing in an ESA (European Space Agency) student challenge, is presented. The way team members perceived the problems of KM and PM, and the way they decided to organize themselves to face these problems was systematically examined by means of direct observations, surveys, and interviews to team members. The main research questions are: How would a novice research team organize a complex research project, for combining formal management efficiency with effective and flexible knowledge exchanges? What approaches, methods or communication tools would they tend to adopt?
Implications for research and practice. In terms of research, the study contributes to the debate on the needs for new PM concepts and methods. In practical terms, it allows to draw useful lessons that can inspire the identification and design of new PM approaches, based on KM concepts and on the use of web 2.0 applications. In addition, it can provide elements for a definition of courses of PM and KM to novice researchers.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Baxter, P., & Jack, S. (2008). Qualitative case study methodology: Study design and implementation for novice researchers. The Qualitative Report, 13(4), 544–559.
Berggren, C., & Söderlund, J. (2008). Rethinking project management education: Social twists and knowledge co-production. International Journal of Project Management, 26(3), 286–296.
Bolisani, E., & Scarso, E. (2014). The place of communities of practice in knowledge management studies: A critical review. Journal of Knowledge Management, 18(2), 366–381.
Bolisani, E., Scarso, E., & Padova, A. (2016, June 15–17). Cognitive overload and related risks of social media in knowledge management programs. 11th IFKAD—International Forum on Knowledge Asset Dynamics, Dresden.
Bresnen, M., Edelman, L., Newell, S., Scarbrough, H., & Swan, J. (2003). Social practices and the management of knowledge in project environments. International Journal of Project Management, 21(3), 157–166.
Cicmil, S., & Hodgson, D. (2006). New possibilities for project management theory: A critical engagement. Project Management Journal, 37(3), 111–122.
Coccia, M., & Rolfo, S. (2009). Project management in public research organisations: Strategic change in complex scenarios. International Journal of Project Organisation and Management, 1(3), 235–252.
Disterer, G. (2002). Management of project knowledge and experiences. Journal of Knowledge Management, 6(5), 512–520.
Egan, B. D. (2009). What is formal project management and who needs it? Expert Reference Series of White Papers, 1–800, Global Knowledge Network Training, Ireland. Retreived from http://www.globalknowledge.ie/content/files/documents/white-papers/pm/231458
ESA. (1996). Space project management. Project phasing and planning [online]. European Space Agency. Retreived from http://www.lr.tudelft.nl/fileadmin/Faculteit/LR/Organisatie/Afdelingen_en_Leerstoelen/Afdeling_SpE/Space_Systems_Eng./Expertise_areas/Systems_engineering/References/doc/ecss-m-30a.pdf
Farrall, S. (1996). What is qualitative longitudinal research? [online]. Papers in Social Research Methods—Qualitative Series n. 11, London School of Economics and Political Science. Retreived from http://www.lse.ac.uk/methodology/pdf/QualPapers/Stephen-Farrall-Qual%20Longitudinal%20Res.pdf
Handzic, M., & Durmic, N. (2015, September 3–4). Realizing value from knowledge assets: Empirical study in project environment. Proceedings of the 16th European Conference on Knowledge Management, Udine.
Harrison, F. L. (1981). Advanced project management. Aldershot: Gower.
Highsmith, J. (2009). Agile project management: Creating innovative products. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Hodgson, D. (2002). Disciplining the professional: The case of project management. Journal of Management Studies, 39(6), 803–821.
Koskela, L., & Howell, G. (2002). The underlying theory of project management is obsolete. In Proceedings of the Project Management Institute Research Conference, Seattle, pp. 293–302.
Kumar, J. A., & Ganesh, L. S. (2011). Balancing knowledge strategy: Codification and personalization during product development. Journal of Knowledge Management, 15(1), 118–135.
Leseure, M. J., & Brookes, N. J. (2004). Knowledge management benchmarks for project management. Journal of Knowledge Management, 8(1), 103–116.
Levy, M. (2009). WEB 2.0 implications on knowledge management. Journal of Knowledge Management, 13(1), 120–134.
Liebowitz, J., & Megbolugbe, I. (2003). A set of frameworks to aid the project manager in conceptualizing and implementing knowledge management initiatives. International Journal of Project Management, 21(3), 189–198.
NASA. (2014). NASA space flight program and project management handbook [online]. National Areonautics and Space Administration. Retreived from ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20150000400.pdf
Nonaka, I., & Zhu, Z. (2012). Pragmatic strategy. Eastern wisdom, global success. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Ortloff, D., Popp, J., Schmidt, T., & Mielke, M. (2009). A customer-driven approach to product engineering of micro and nano devices—Requirement analysis. In Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on the Commercialization of Micro and Nano Systems, Copenhagen.
PMI. (2013). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK Guide (5th ed.). Newton Square, PA: The Project Management Institute.
Pollack, J. (2007). The changing paradigms of project management. International Journal of Project Management, 25, 266–274.
Remidez, H., & Jones, N. B. (2012). Developing a model for social media in project management communications. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(3), 33–36.
Taylor, R. G. (2010). Systems thinking for project management: Implications for practice and education. Acta Structilia, 17(1), 79.
Thomas, J., & Mengel, T. (2008). Preparing project managers to deal with complexity–Advanced project management education. International Journal of Project Management, 26(3), 304–315.
Turban, E., Bolloju, N., & Liang, T. P. (2011). Enterprise social networking: Opportunities, adoption, and risk mitigation. Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, 21(3), 202–220.
Turner, J. R., & Huemann, M. (2001). Project management education in project-oriented societies. Project Management, 7(1), 7–13.
Wagner, C. (2006). Breaking the knowledge acquisition bottleneck through conversational knowledge management. Information Resources Management Journal, 19(1), 70–83.
Yeong, A. (2010). Integrating knowledge management with project management for project success. Journal of Project Program and Portfolio Management, 1(2), 8–19.
Yin, R. K. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bolisani, E., Debei, S., Savino, N. (2017). Renovating Project Management: Knowledge Personalization and Sharing. In: Handzic, M., Bassi, A. (eds) Knowledge and Project Management. Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning, vol 5. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51067-5_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51067-5_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-51066-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-51067-5
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)