Debate 1: Small Adds

Outputs from Workshop 8, Lancaster University, 18th May 2011

Participants were asked to capture their ideas and comments arising immediately after the debate.

The debate title was:

This house believes that project management education must be research-led rather than practitioner-led.

These are the suggestions (in no particular order):

Practitioners need solutions to problems in practice, but time pressure doesn't allow time to research, this should be a project role filled in all projects (Project Researcher).

A collection of theories might be acceptable, but shouldn't there be an integrative framework?

Maybe it is a false problem; "research-led" and "practitioner-led" are problematic categories.

"Education is a keyword; "Led" is a keyword. Depends on level but argument that management students are more receptive to practice is not a ? argument.

'Leadership is key' - I'm not sure researchers who lack practitioner experience would know what questions to ask.

What has Re-thinking Project Management delivered to practitioners?

Research that looks to establish generalised theories on the practice of project management + explores the intuitive aspects of practice.

The sensitivity of development projects (economiclly, socially + politically) demands research-led (proactive appropach) to minimise risk of practitioner (trial + error) actions, primarily!!