The Limitations of the Conceptual Framework of the Heterogeneous Engineer for Leadership in Megascience Projects

David Eggleton ()
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David Eggleton: SPRU, University of Sussex, UK

SPRU Working Paper Series from SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School

Abstract: The concept of the ‘heterogeneous engineer’, devised by Krige (2001) offers the intriguing possibility of applying a concept devised in the history of science literature to the academic study of leadership. This study sought to use the heterogeneous engineer as a conceptual framework to develop wider leadership theory. Two case studies were selected – the Tevatron at Fermilab in the United States and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN on the Franco-Swiss border. The LHC was of particular interest because Carlo Rubbia, identified by Krige (2001) as a classic heterogeneous engineer, played a leading role in its conception. However, the results of this study indicate that Carlo Rubbia is a relative anomaly within the context of scientific leadership and therefore the heterogeneous engineer is an inappropriate construct for the development of wider leadership theory. The paper also identifies and describes the generalised characteristics of leaders in megascience projects as a starting point for future work in this field.

Keywords: Megaprojects; big science; leadership; project management; research infrastructure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-09
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