Is Project Management Still an Accidental Profession? A Qualitative Study of Career Trajectory

Tracey M. Richardson, Matthew P. Earnhardt and Jim W. Marion

SAGE Open, 2015, vol. 5, issue 1, 2158244015572098

Abstract: In this study, the authors used qualitative techniques to look for reoccurring themes related to 87 project managers’ responses to interview questions associated with entry into the field of project management and career progression. The study found that despite the efforts of higher education, professional associations, and their professional development and certifications, the project management remains a destination by accident. Professional project managers do not intend to be project managers but “fall into†the profession. This study provides a conceptual framework for project manager career trajectory that has implications for project management training and mentoring and contributes to the growing literature on the accidental profession.

Keywords: project manager career progression; project manager success factors; project manager career path framework (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:sagope:v:5:y:2015:i:1:p:2158244015572098

DOI: 10.1177/2158244015572098

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