The Professionalization of Project Management: Theories

Will project management become a fully recognized profession? What changes can we expect to see as it moves toward this goal? Professionalization of Project Management offers a glimpse into the future of the project management profession, along with an objective look at some of the occupational concerns its practitioners have. The authors explore how the future of project management may be discerned in large measure by studying the evolution of other knowledge-based occupations such as nursing, teaching, medicine, law and engineering.

Will project management's advance to professional status follow a similar path? What lessons can be learned from the efforts, trials and advancement of nursing, teaching and other fields toward professional status? Project management practitioners will debate this provocative, in-depth study - as well as the authors' interpretation of these issues - for years to come. Ultimately, their work and conclusions provide a valuable blueprint for the future of the profession, and a preview of the path it may follow as it moves to toward professional recognition.

Table of Contents

I. Introduction
II. Theoretical Foundation
III. Study Methodology
IV. Findings from Nursing Web Site Survey
V. Findings from Social Work Web Site Survey
VI. Findings from Teaching Web Site Survey
VII. Findings from Comparative Online Survey
VIII. Insights and Future Direction