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

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.

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“…While "project management" has developed into a recognized profession, the routes into the profession and progression within the profession have little-recognized structure. To a number of scholars, project management has been and continues to be the 'accidental profession' (Richardson, Earnhardt, & Marion, 2015). Rarely does a project management career begin within the profession.…”

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“…However, there are significant voices opining that project managers fall into the profession by chance or coincidence (Darrell et al, 2010;Pinto & Kharbanda, 1995). This is further amplified by Richardson et al (2015) who argue "…professional project managers do not intend to be project managers but 'fall into' the profession" (p.1).…”

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“…They also coined the term accidental profession to illustrate the trial-by-fire nature of the introduction to project management as a profession. These special features often include the lack of clear career paths and adequate organizational support (Darrell et al, 2010), the possession of a precarious position characterized by little authority and weak connection to the traditional hierarchy (Richardson et al, 2015), and the consequent need to take personal control over their careers (El-Sabaa, 2001). Thus, the question of how project managers perceive and pursue career success is fundamental to understanding their organizational behavior and its individual and organizational effects.…”

“…Thus, it appears clear that, apart from the availability of adequate organizational structures and processes aimed at supporting project managers’ career development and subsequent success, the issue of how project managers can adequately manage their career and develop their employability in view of better career opportunities and satisfaction—both with their current employer and/or across different organizations—is fundamental and calls for increased empirical attention. More specifically, while a large amount of available evidence concerning project managers’ careers is anecdotal or conceptual based (Richardson et al, 2015; Turner, 1999), few empirical studies have examined popular career conceptualizations (e.g., protean career, employability) within the realm of project management. This implies that, nowadays, project-based organizations have access to either few or outdated leverages for fostering their project managers’ career development and self-management in light of the abovementioned rapidly changing environments.…”

“…First, subjective career success, entailing feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment regarding one’s career (Seibert et al, 1999), should be examined along with more traditional indicators of objective career success (e.g., pay, promotions) because, for an increasing number of those in the workforce—whose career paths are now more unstable and multi-directional (Verbruggen, 2012)—the career contract is not with the organization but with the self (Sammarra et al, 2013). Second, a leitmotif in project management literature is the difficulty of organizations in adequately managing their project managers’ career development (e.g., Richardson et al, 2015), thus leaving the responsibility for career management in their hands.…”