Chapter 1: Forty Years of Project Management Research - Trends, Interpretations, and Predictions

Timothy J. Kloppenborg, Ph.D. PMP Xavier University
Warren A. Opfer, MBA, PMP The Dayton Group
Peter Bycio, Ph.D. Xavier University
Julie Cagle, Ph.D. Xavier University
Thomas Clark, Ph.D. Xavier University
Margaret Cunningham, Ph.D. Xavier University
Miriam Finch, Ph.D. Xavier University
James M. Gallagher, PMP The Dayton Group
Joseph Petrick, Ph.D., SPHR Wright State University
Rachana Sampat, MBA Xavier University
Manar Shami, Ph.D. University of Cincinnati
John Surdick, Ph.D. Xavier University
Raghu Tadepalli, Ph.D. Xavier University
Deborah Tesch, DBA, CDP Xavier University

Introduction

The discipline of project management is currently being used as a key strategy to manage change in contemporary organizations. Consequently, the project management profession is undergoing tremendous growth worldwide as corporations, governments, academia, and other organizations recognize the value of common approaches and educated employees for the execution of projects. Research into the management of projects has had an important role in the previous growth of the profession and should have a significant role in the future growth. Because of the growth of the profession and of the interest in advancing the body of knowledge in project management, the Project Management Institute (PMI ) commissioned this project for presentation at the PMI Research Conference 2000. A source selection process was conducted by PMI, and in October 1999, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio, and their strategic partner, The Dayton Group (TDG), Dayton, Ohio, were selected to perform the English language portion of this research activity. In this chapter, the researchers are referred to as the Xavier/TDG Project Team.