Summary

The purpose of this chapter is to share one researcher's perspectives and experiences regarding research on project management. This author's early exposure to project management within NASA clearly shaped his perceptions regarding what project managers do and the issues they encounter in carrying out their work. What is particularly surprising is that many of the problems that the NASA project leaders faced are very similar to the issues today's project managers encounter. Project leaders continue to deal with issues that test the ablest of managers, e.g., dealing with new technologies; operating in a global environment; dealing with multiple, complex organizations; and operating under stringent performance, schedule, and cost targets. In addition, there are numerous interpersonal challenges involved in achieving successful project performance. It is hoped that the issues examined in this chapter like project team performance assessment; stress in project management; project partnering/alliance management; and the experiences of project team members will encourage further research and managerial thought.

It is estimated that approximately 75 percent of companies use cross-functional project teams in their NPD programs (Cooper and Kleinschmidt 1994; Griffin 1997). These teams clearly can have an important impact on cycle time and project performance (Gupta and Wilemon 1990). The experiences of organizations in implementing these teams, however, have been mixed. Some organizations have created high-performing project teams with impressive development performance. Other organizations have found achieving authentic teamwork difficult at best. As one researcher noted, "teamwork collaborations are often tentative, fragile, threatened by confusion, stressful, conflictful, and skeptical" (Donnellon 1992). It appears that we have much more to learn about implementing and creating successful project teams (Denison, Hart, and Kahn 1996).

In summary, the purpose of this chapter is to highlight some ongoing research areas that may prove helpful in further understanding the purpose and function of project management. As a field of study, project management continues to evolve. The research that has been conducted has strengthened the field. The challenges that project management faces in the future will be even more daunting as projects become more complex and increasingly sophisticated. Researchers can help by focusing on issues that help increase the effectiveness of project managers, their teams, and make their work lives more productive and satisfying. Conferences such as the PMI Research Conference 2000 conducted by the Project Management Institute (PMI ) are an excellent venue to share ideas and approaches that offer the potential increases in project management effectiveness.