Project management education, training, working & learning : a longitudinal study into the experiences of British Army officers in UK defence projects

• Main Author: Egginton, William Edward
• Other Authors: Thomas, Sally
• Published: University of Bristol 2010
• Subjects: 331.2
• Online Access: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.529820

This dissertation presents the findings of research undertaken to identify the benefits arising over time from Project Management (PM) Education and Training (E&T) at the level of the individual and the barriers that hinder the realisation of wider organisational benefits in the workplace. The research adopts a longitudinal, mixed methods approach and includes an extensive review of the relevant literature pertaining to two key themes of interest, namely, views on the current approaches to PM E&T and secondly, consideration of learning in a complex, dynamic, project-centric workplace. The data set comprised an original sample of 78 Army officers, all male and at the rank of Major but from a number of different regiments. Data collection started at the time of their PM course at the UK Defence Academy (June 2008) and ran over a 15 month period as they moved into posts in defence projects. The research has identified a range of beneficial changes at the level of the individual together with a number of barriers that were found to hinder the application of learning for the wider benefit of the employer organisation, the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). Four key barriers are identified and described. The research concludes that whilst there continues to be merit in traditional courses in PM E&T, there is a real need for alternative approaches that better support further learning and project delivery in complex, dynamic, projectcentric environments. The research findings suggest that development initiatives built on traditional taught elements alone are inadequate, principally as a consequence of factors beyond the control and influence of the individual student and practitioner. The thesis argues that the project team constitutes the most significant unit of project performance, working within an environment shaped by the wider organisation. Only when due consideration is made of these other levels of learning - as part of a coherent approach to the development of genuine 'corporate competence' - will the benefits from individual learning class room based PM E&T initiatives be fully realised.