Throughout
the years I have become more and more aware of projects centrality
in today’s society and especially in relation to engineering
work. Organization of activities in projects is becoming more
widely used to solve large complex problems and thus is this form
of organization ubiquitous in societal organizations, businesses
and to individuals. Since the vast majority of engineers is
concerned with problem solving at all levels of society, project
work has become the primary working method for engineers.
I have experienced this from my background in the construction
industry (
NCC) – which might be
one of the most project oriented industries, but also from my
former work as a programmer in an IT start-up company (
Kapow Technologies). Here
projects were everywhere in the software development pro-cess but
more interesting I found it present in the whole nature of
start-ups. Projects are thus highly relevant in the production
settings like construction, but also in innovation and
entrepreneurial settings.
Throughout my research and other professional activities e.g.
in NCC I have been deeply interested in the practices of organizing
and managing projects. However instead of having an explicit focus
on Project Management I have addressed the field by focusing on
diverse perspectives such as Organizational Learning and Knowledge
Management (e.g. Thuesen 2006), Innovation and Business
devel-opment (e.g. Thuesen & Koch 2011), and Industrialization,
Platform thinking, and Mass-customization (e.g. Thuesen & Hvam
2011). These different perspectives have shed light on some of the
fundamental challenges of Project Management and raised strategies
for developing new practices of Project Management.
Based on an interest in understanding and improving existing
practices of management in construction (e.g. Thuesen et al 2009) a
theme have emerged from my research which appears to have a much
broader relevance in relation to Project Management – the
dilemma of balancing creativity and productivity. As a strategy for
addressing this dilemma, I am currently working on a
reinterpretation of the modularity concept which will be compatible
with the “nature” of project organizing and management
(e.g. Thuesen 2012).
However, the challenges of Project Management cannot be
isolated to a single dilemma especially if we look upon Project
Management in different engineering domains. It is thus important
to develop a research approach which is open towards the role of
the context and capable of understanding the sit-uated nature of
practices.
Throughout my research I have developed a solid platform for
conducting practice-based research which inherently draws upon
qualitative methods (e.g. Thuesen 2006 and 2012). My intention is
to develop a research agenda within Project Management drawing upon
this practice-based platform com-bined with Qualitative Comparative
Analysis (QCA). By combing detailed case studies of Project
Management practices with advanced cross-case comparisons it will
be possible to identify hidden characteristics of Project
Management practices and thereby increase the understanding of the
field and give guidance to the development of new practices.
But the research will only become valuable if it is
implemented the future practices of engineers. Thus teaching
Project Management is a core stone in engineering education.
The adaption of practice-based theory in my Ph.D. has given me
an in-depth theoretical understanding of learning processes as
something inherently social, closely coupled to the creation of
identity and fa-cilitated by active participation. This platform
has together with participation in the central teacher training
courses at DTU enabled me to develop a reflective and curious
teaching practice which fo-cuses on active participation, adapted
theories and real life cases from the industry.
Since I started at DTU I have gradually gained experience in
the “fine art” of teaching. In this devel-opment I have
become acquainted with teaching at all levels. Thus I have been
responsible for development, planning and execution of Project
Management related courses at various levels. This includes
teaching at DTUs “
Master in Construction Management” and the continuous
education program “
Design and Management of
Network Projects”, the basic and advanced course in
Project Management (
42430
&
42246)
and at the
Industrial
Ph.D. course.
For further information se my linkedIn profile
http://www.linkedin.com/in/matute