Project management scholarship: Relevance, impact and five integrative challenges for business and management schools

• Published in: International journal of project management Vol. 30; no. 6; pp. 686 - 696
• Main Authors: Söderlund, Jonas, Maylor, Harvey
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2012; Elsevier; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Betriebswirtschaftsstudium; Business; Business schools; Collaboration; Construction; Curriculum development; Education; Impact; Integrative challenges; Management; Management theory; Project management; Project management research; Projektmanagement; Relevance; Schools; Studies; Teaching; Wirtschaftshochschule; Impact; Relevance; Project management research; Integrative challenges
• ISSN: 0263-7863; 1873-4634; 1873-4634
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijproman.2012.03.007

This paper discusses the standing of project management in the academy. It does so from the viewpoint of business and management schools. The paper identifies five critical integrative challenges concerning research, how they might be better addressed and perhaps turned into opportunities. The paper builds on recent debates within the area of engaged scholarship and knowledge co-production, which call for greater focus on multi-disciplinarity and research–practice collaborations. The paper offers suggestions as to what project management scholars could do to tackle the identified challenges and thereby improve the standing of project management as a subject area within the academy and its contribution to the curriculum and research agenda of business and management schools. The paper ends with some thoughts about future debates on the role of project management research and teaching, especially how project management scholarship could help respond to some of the current criticism of business school research and how research could better inform management practice. ► The paper deals with some of the challenges facing business schools. ► The paper identifies five critical and integrative challenges. ► The paper shows how project management can help to resolve these challenges.