Realising the benefits of investment in project management training: Evidence supporting the need for a more strategic approach

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the barriers experienced as “apprentice practitioners” transitioned from a course of project management (PM) education into a project‐centric work place, in order to improve understanding of the limitations of classroom‐based education at the level of the individual.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes a longitudinal study over two years, during which data were collected from a series of on‐line surveys and one‐to‐one interviews with a data set that comprised 78 military students.

Findings

The research results confirmed some of the benefits associated with classroom‐based PM education (learning the language, tools & techniques) and identified key barriers to the application of learning in the workplace.

Research limitations/implications

The study's validity, particularly in respect of generalisability, should not be overstated. Organisational maturity plays a part in shaping the approach to individual learning and these aspects were not assessed.

Practical implications

The paper argues that a more strategic approach to PM people development is required, involving a move away from traditional classroom‐based interventions at the level of the individual to a paradigm where the same individuals are able to immerse themselves in active team‐based learning as part of their day‐job.

Originality/value

The findings of this study resonate with those of earlier work and set the PM situation into the context of other disciplines.

Citation

Egginton, B. (2012), "Realising the benefits of investment in project management training: Evidence supporting the need for a more strategic approach", International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, Vol. 5 No. 3, pp. 508-527. https://doi.org/10.1108/17538371211235344