Abstract
Project management remains one of the main elements of a successful business, providing the enterprise with means and tools to recognize, evaluate, and plan the necessary actions for operating a company. Moreover, it often leads to the creation of the new, innovative approaches that can help the company attract investors and increase its share on the market.
In the heart of any successful business lies a strategy that allows to operate several projects at once, and project management skills become more and more important for an efficient manager in any field. Thus, it is crucial to understand the current research agenda in the field of project management, as it allows one to recognize the upcoming trends in business industry. This paper critically evaluates three studies, drawing discussion on the current research agenda in the field of project and engineering management.
Introduction
The current stage of economic development is characterized by a high intensity of development and the emergence of new products and technologies on the market. The need to turn the process of developing new products into an orderly system is becoming an urgent need for an enterprise to gain and maintain a competitive advantage. Successful innovations are not the result of spontaneous intuitive insights, but the result of an adequate methodology that contains achievements from various fields of knowledge.
A distinctive feature of the modern business environment is the scale of changes, the dynamics of which increases from year to year. Large-scale investments in innovation, the emergence of new technologies, differentiation of consumer demand, and structural changes in the economy create objective foundations for the development of mechanisms for the rapid adaptation of enterprises to changes. This is one of the key factors in their survival and ensuring competitiveness in the long term. Project management ensures that the adaptation occurs timely and specifically as a response to the concrete changes, often serving as predictive tool for the market shifts.
Review of the literature
The Context of Research Agenda
Modern economic science offers many new approaches to management, characterized by flexibility, adaptability, focus on results – for example, “learning organizations,” performance-based budgeting, business process reengineering, TQM, and others. Among management theories, the concept of project management occupies a special place. This scientific discipline grew out of management practice and is firmly entrenched in the modern scientific worldview.
Due to its dynamic development and wide distribution, project management continues to occupy new positions: an increasing number of enterprises are becoming project-oriented, managing their activities as a set of interrelated projects. For each project, labor, financial, industrial and other resources are allocated, which are managed by the project manager. Each project has its own structure, and project management includes defining its goals, forming a structure, planning and organizing work, as well as coordinating the actions of performers.
In recent years, the scope of project management has been expanding more and more. Principles, concepts, methods, techniques and even software developed specifically for project management are increasingly used both in strategic management and in the operations of enterprises. In connection with the increasing role of process management in business practice, it is of great interest to study modern research directions.
Today’s research agenda emphasizes that planning is the most important project management process. Planning processes are carried out throughout the entire project life cycle, starting with a preliminary master plan as part of the project concept and ending with a detailed work plan for the final phase. At the same time, the plans are clarified and detailed as the project progresses. At the planning stage, the organization, methods and means of managing the implementation of the project are determined, both as an integral system and in the context of its individual stages and elements.
In their study, Ismail et al. (2017) discuss effective ways of project planning, elaborating on the use of specific planning and management frameworks. The authors present the benefits of a construction simulation toolkit (CST) and the platform ProSIM for planning of construction objects using simulations. During the implementation of a project, changes can occur both within the project and outside of it.
The main purpose of planning is to continually keep the project on track towards its successful completion. The use of specialized frameworks such as CST and ProSIM makes it easier to track the progress of the project and adjust the stages and operations when needed via simulations.
The importance of planning in the project management cannot be stressed enough. Thus, this study proves to offer a valuable perspective into the process of planning, elaborating on its overall structure and stages. Drawing conclusions from this study, the project managers can search for modern planning framework that would fit their organization the best.
If the future of the project were really absolutely predetermined, there would be no need for constant development of plans. Thus, the main goal of pre-project planning is not to determine exact benchmarks and figures but to establish a certain “segment” for each of the most important directions, within which indicators can vary (Ika et al., 2020). The meaning of the coordinating role of the plan is that a well-structured goal setting disciplines both current and future activities, as well as allows the organization to work without significant disruptions.
The research conducted by Abbas et al. (2016) supports this statement, providing factual evidence of the effectivity of pre-project planning in construction industry. The authors analyzed current pre-construction planning (PCP) practices, their practical benefits and limitations. The results provide strong arguments in favor of pre-project planning being one of the defining factors of project’s success.
Project managers are responsible for the projects they curate, thus, it becomes necessary to map out the activities and teams related to the specific project. The main tool for integrating project participants is the project plan (Rémondeau et al., 2019). Additionally, agreeing on a project plan by all participants ensures a better understanding of responsibilities and their tasks.
The study by Abbas et al. (2016) offers strong evidence of the benefits the pre-project planning brings. The authors state that planning makes it possible to ensure a high probability and high level of achievement of goals, based on the systematic preparation of decisions. Thus, it acts as a prerequisite for the effective implementation of the project.
Identification of Different Perspectives Research Agenda
The other study suggests the description of schools that investigate project management as a specific phenomenon. Bredillet and Lille (2008) review four schools that view projects as a computer, algorithm, chameleon, and billboard. For instance, the first perspective claims that a project includes profound decision-making activities as well as information processing. The second standpoint assumes that the initiative is a step-by-step algorithm executed gradually. The Contingency School notices that differences in each project (Bredillet and Lille, 2008). Finally, the project as a billboard presumes that strategic and tactical components integrate.
The results of the study provide an opportunity for managers to look at problems in a different plane. Specialists in the field of program and project portfolio management receive the necessary data to re-evaluate their priorities and revise approaches to implementing successful change programs (Goel, Ganesh and Kaur, 2020). It all eventually contributes to the social good since societal concerns are integrated primarily into practice.
Development of Literature for Research Agenda
The field of architecture and construction does not go unnoticed by the leading companies involved in the implementation of the latest developments in virtual and augmented reality. This technology allows architects to consider a three-dimensional model of the project in great detail. This has a positive impact not only on the process of attracting investors, but also on the technical assessment of future buildings and structures (Peruzzini et al., 2020).
Integration with VR and AR at the development stage allows to build an electronic model of the product and see in advance all the shortcomings and errors. It also makes it possible to conduct an accurate assessment of the implementation costs and, in the future, the cost of developing 3D scenes during presentations.
Engineers have the opportunity, with the help of special headsets, to view in detail all parts of the object of interest. Ahmed (2018) discusses the possibilities of using the virtual reality for planning the construction projects in his research. The virtual and mixed reality market is currently trending, creating new opportunities for construction industry.
The VR-technologies are most relevant for the companies that build or design administrative and residential buildings or sports facilities. Attracting customers and investors using drawings and documents is more difficult than using a real and detailed 3D model, where one can scale each node and explain its purpose. Thus, this study gives a valuable insight into the usability of VR models for construction.
Discussions
Critical Analysis of Research Agenda
The ways of how organizations and people plan their projects depend on multiple factors, and one of them is to understand the overall purpose of this process. Regardless of the methods and approaches managers prefer, project planning is commonly defined as a process to improve project performance. Overall, project management is a complex activity with a number of significant elements like planning, execution, controlling, and evaluation. Each step has its goals and resources to be properly completed as per the deadlines set. Structure planning processes facilitate human activities, execution – how all tasks are performed, and control shows if any change is required.
On the one hand, the Logical Framework Approach (LFA) is widely used in many modern development projects to establish definite goals, promote logical thinking, identify clear outcomes or expectations, and encourage effective monitoring. On the other hand, the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), also known as a part of the Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) method, underlines the importance of stakeholders’ responsibilities and local priorities. The empowerment of individuals turns out to be a vital part of project planning that emphasizes problem-solving and decision-making.
Four variables, namely problem solving, the power of the lead organization, activation of groups, and staff skills, are used to promote planning success. Problem solving implies the intention to find all-gain solutions to a particular situation. The power of the lead organization indicates the differences between what organizations cover within a particular period (Fiorini et al. 2018). Activation of groups allows inviting many participants to offer various approaches to planning. Staff skills are positively associated with problem identification, helping see what qualities matter in the working environment.
Lessons, Limitations, and Future Research Agenda
Change dynamics is unpredictable, and managers should use different resources, materials, and techniques. The make-static course shows how to resist change, and emergent planning is based on feedback. Alternate controls assume predictable environments, staged releases reduce risks and offer secure tests, scope reduction offers quick reaction, and competitive experiments are used to identify an optimal planning approach in a short period.
The integration of the environment into planning also requires the analysis of goals. People want to find additional sources for stimulation and education and remove ineffective policies in order to present new solutions and efficient EIA processes. Environmental issues must be recognized in project planning and used to support managers and their leaders in finding interesting academic disciplines, planning activities, and evaluating models. Attention should be paid not only to professional growth and guidelines but to creative development and individual approaches.
Among the existing variety of project planning processes, transferring tasks cannot be ignored. Companies or individuals offer their services to final users and determine project success and development. Managers have to investigate project efficiency and customer benefits to identify if project success is possible. If projects are performed under contract for external or internal customers, managers devote many efforts to plan and prepare the project in advance, focusing on client involvement at all stages. However, customers’ and developers’ participation and final users’ preparations are partially correlated with positive planning results.
Managers consider the impact of interconnection between different factors. There are three planning elements: functional requirements, technical specifications, and project management processes and procedures, and three success dimensions: end-users, project managers, and contracting offices. Technical specifications aim to measure logistic support, reliability, and life cycle costs. However, dependence on technical specifications and requirements definitions cannot be ignored. Computerized planning tools play an important role understanding what end-users expect to get from the contracting office.
Leaders want to use unique approaches and see individual projects. Project planning has to be promoted even if it restricts creativity or does not guarantee success (Scott-Young, Georgy and Grisinger, 2019). Thus, it is necessary to recognize the efforts that could bring positive results and avoid failures if no planning is implemented (Tshabangu and Salawu, 2021). The findings of this article help managers and researchers recognize the worth of efforts that should be invested in goal identification and functional requirements because this relationship promotes overall success in planning.
Most people prefer to integrate project planning into single situations and achieve short-term goals. They also need to be involved in multi-project environments, which makes resource allocation more complex and unpredictable. This team of researchers describes the importance of five methods for people to be used in project management. Long-term plans are based on annual reports and multiple disciplines that could affect a project. Although medium-term plans are not always stable, they help observe change and choose portfolios for current decision-making.
Short-term plans include daily activities that promote harmony between people and resources (Buse, Hill and Benson, 2017). If the resource dedication profile is changed for any reason, managers should be transferred to new team members. Human resource allocation becomes a less challenging task for modern organizations because of constantly developing technologies and software (Centobelli, Cerchione and Esposito, 2017). People take responsibility for problem-solving and decision-making in project planning, but they like to keep it as simple as possible.
Conclusion
People are interested in project planning from multiple perspectives. Leaders expect from their managers efficient transferring, meaningful evaluation, and authentic reports. Project management creates the prerequisites for eliminating some of the imperfections inherent in a market economy. Through the tools of project management, it is possible to achieve a certain integrity of the economic space, the coordination of economic entities in order to implement the assigned tasks. Thus, the project management methodology is an effective tool for solving strategic socio-economic problems in the context of constantly occurring changes.
However, due to its uniqueness, project activities are characterized by a high degree of uncertainty, which forms the basis for potential risks. Therefore, the identification and classification of risks, their management are an integral part of project management itself, and should be studied more closely in the future researches. These new studies should take into account the processes of globalization, world institutional transformation, as well as the rise of not only developed.
A new stage in the development of the science of project and engineering management requires the formation of competencies in the management of innovative and investment projects within the framework of global business. Moreover, the development of organizational and economic mechanisms, contributing to the rapid adaptation and effective integration of enterprises into the global economic space, is also in order for the future of the project management.
References
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