Current research opportunities
We have a wide range of current research studies you can take part in today. Please read the text below, find out more or use the contact details provided or feel free to contact us for more information.
Ethics of care in project management: managing project workers’ wellbeing in the rise of the platform era
Platforms have risen up the organisational agenda across project-based industries. The technical side of a platform has been widely discussed from scholarly and practitioner standpoints. Yet the organisational and human side of the platforms have not gained much attention. Transformative digital technologies drive changes not just in material environment, but also in human values and organisational systems that support wellbeing. An understanding of the effects technologies have on the wellbeing of project workers is imperative to the success of digital transformation, but it is often neglected.
Led by UCL, this APM funded research aims to explore how project-based firms can better ‘care’ for project workers’ wellbeing in transforming to a platform approach. The research will conduct multiple case studies in project-based industries to understand the impacts of platform technologies on employee wellbeing and how caring practices are enacted in project management to nurture wellbeing in transforming to a platform approach. The comparison case studies offer practical insights for project businesses to better understand and manage employee wellbeing in the platform-based environment.
For more information or take part in the research please contact research lead Dr Jean Xu at UCL.
Developing Effective Interventions for Gender Equality in Construction Project Organisations
Gender equality is a key element of sustainability representing one of 17 United Nations Sustainable development goals. Sexism in the workplace relates to sustainable development goals 5 and 8 which “promotes sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all” (United Nations, 2021). One of the sectors which seems to be struggling with this issue is construction. Construction is a male-dominant sector thus exposing women and not Cis-male to sexism and gender bias. The consequences of gender bias and experience of everyday sexism by women and not Cis-male working in construction project organisations have been identified as mental health and well-being related impacts, lower performance and efficacy and high retention rates Although different interventions are in place for addressing gender inequality and sexism, in project organisations and particularly construction, there is no systematic analysis on which interventions work and which do not. The anecdotal information is scattered in different fields and journals.
This research led by the University of the West of Scotland and the Politecnico di Mlian intends to fill the gap in understanding the effectiveness of existing interventions applied by construction project organisations. This will lead to a clear guidelines and strategies on how barriers and challenges for female employees in construction organisations can be addressed and overcome. Interested parties can take part through participation as interviewees or through joining our Delphi seminar which will be held in London at the final stage of the project.
For more information or to take part please contact research contacts Dr Sara Hajikazemi, University of the West of Scotland or Professor Giorgio Locatelli, Politecnico di Milano.
Net-zero carbon and the project manager: readiness, challenges, and pathways for the delivery of carbon-free major projects
Given current national strategies and pledges on the attainment of carbon neutrality by 2050, the significance of carbon as an increasingly prevalent parameter for a successful project delivery appears unavoidable. However, the experiences of the project profession in delivering these targets within current major projects remains largely under-researched. As a response to this gap, this study led by Heriot Watt University aims to explore the readiness of the profession, through the identification of challenges and opportunities faced by project professionals in current major projects, as well as establishing pathways to enable the successful delivery of major projects aligned with net-zero pledges over the next decades.
This seeks to answer the question of: What is the current readiness of the project profession to deliver major projects within a national net-zero carbon emissions framework?
For more information or to take part please contact Dr Godawatte Arachchige Gimhan Rathnagee Godawatte.
Embracing diversity for enhanced sustainability: improving the participation and retention of diverse early career project management professionals
Led by RMIT University and the University of Melbourne this research will address the question of “How can project-based organisations and professional societies facilitate early career transition and improve the retention of minority groups (gender/race/ethnicity) in the project management profession? “
By exploring the under-researched perspectives of early career minority groups in project management, the research contributes to an area where few studies have been conducted. In doing so, this research seeks to advance both the project management sustainability and careers literatures and shed light on the lived experiences of under-represented minority groups as well as provide evidence-based practical recommendations to improve practices that support project professionals from diverse backgrounds during their early careers. The research aims to positively contribute to the better career development, satisfaction, and retention of diverse early career project professionals (i.e., improve their career sustainability), which will further contribute to improving the triple bottom line in terms of economic, social, and environmental sustainability through sustaining a more diverse project profession.
For more information or to take part in the research please contact Dr Christina Scott-Young, RMIT.
The internationalisation of project management research: implications for higher education and professional practice
This study aims to investigate how the internationalisation of project management (PM) research has been reflected in the delivery of higher education programmes in the UK and the resultant implications for cross-border project practitioners. The researchers want to understand how often current students and recent graduates of higher education project management courses and project management practitioners and higher education lecturers read and use the outputs of international project management research.
When referring to project management research this includes peer-reviewed journal articles, professional and statutory body reports, laws and legislation, conference proceedings, and theses and dissertations. In addition, when referring to international research, we mean literature arising from investigative projects published by authors affiliated to research institutions outside England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. We would like to hear from you if you are interested in project management, regardless of how, where, or when you studied, practised, or taught it. The research will primarily take place via a survey so please look out for this via our research and student newsletters.
You can contact the research lead Dr Allan Osborne.
Enablers and barriers to adoption of benefits management frameworks
This survey led by the University of Newcastle seeks to survey APM corporate partners and affiliates to understand and baseline benefits realisation management as a dynamic capability.
For further details or to get involved in the study please contact Dr Rebecca Casey.