Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the philosophical changes which underpin research and practices in project management. This study is an attempt to challenge previous studies that have tried to explain this change in order to provide a better explanation. Design/methodology/approach The authors adopt a critical review research method to challenge previous explanations of the paradigm change and definition of communication. For this purpose, philosophical and social theories and concepts have been used. Findings This paper proposed changing the paradigm from modernism to postmodernism and the paradigm shift, which happens from postmodernism to participation, as a better explanation for the paradigmatic change in project management. Furthermore, the important role of communication has been illustrated in the participation paradigm. Originality/value For the first time in project management, the authors attempt to clarify the role of power in this paradigmatic shift, especially because this concept is an axial concept in postmodern philosophy and a neglected concept in project management literature. In addition, communicative action theory has been used with the aim of pursuing the influence of informal power in the participation paradigm and paving the way for confronting its emerging challenges in future studies.

An innovative negotiation methodology for managing conflicts in construction projects is presented in this article where multiple decision makers are involved. The proposed negotiation methodology has a unique ability to consider the attitudes of the decision makers, which is an important psychological factor in the negotiations that take place in various stages of a construction project. The methodology is developed at the strategic level of decision making in which the graph model for conflict resolution (GMCR) is employed in assisting decision makers, such as project managers, to achieve the best strategic decision, given the competing interests and attitudes of the decision makers. A real-life case study is used to illustrate how the proposed methodology can be conveniently applied in practice and to demonstrate the importance and the benefits of incorporating the attitudes of multiple decision makers into the negotiation process in order to better identify the most feasible resolutions. The proposed negotiation methodology has been implemented in a negotiation decision support system that assists project managers in tackling real-world controversies, particularly in complex disputes that occur in construction projects.

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