1. Rethinking Project Management Education: Responding to the challenges of a Mode 2 society Jonas Söderlund jonas.soderlund@liu.se jonas.soderlund@bi.no

2. Jonas Söderlund, PhD Professor, BI Norwegian School of Management, Oslo Associate Professor, School of Management, Linköping University, Sweden. Previously at Harvard Business School, MIT, Cranfield and l’Ecole Polytechnique. Core Faculty, PMEX, Executive MBA Program. Partnership program with Swedish MNCs. Core Faculty, APM Programs. Partnershps with Swedish firms. Research in cooperation with AstraZeneca, Ericsson, ABB, Scania and Volvo. 1) Project Management. Project-level analysis. 2a) Project Competence. Strategy and PBF analysis. 2b) HRM in Project-Intensive Firms. People analysis.

3. Agenda Background Purpose and outline Projects as schools for leaders The social twist of experiential learning The loci of learning Modes of learning Practical means The future of Rethinking PM Education

4. Background and purpose

5. Rethinking… Complexity of project management Plurality of project management Actuality of project management Reflective practitioners “the current conceptual base of project management continuous to attract criticism for its lack of relevance to practice” (Winter et al, 2006: 638) Good criticism, good points, little advice!

6. Foundation… Mode 2 society –Gibbons et al (1994) –Nowotny et al (2001) Knowledge co-production Closer integration between research and practice Doing research in the context of knowledge application Socially robust knowledge Current AMLE Debate!

7. Projects as schools for leaders

8. Two management education programs PMEX, founded in 1995 –A focused executive training program –International executive MBA level –Bridging project and general management –Close partnership with multinational companies –ABB, Ericsson, Tetra Pak, Volvo, Saab Aerospace –18 months, 8 residential weeks APM, founded in 1997 –Advanced Project Management –Partnership with Scania Heavy Trucks –9 months –Two residential sessions, one day sessions

9. The social twist of experiential learning

10. Responses… Reflection and articulation –Nowotny et al (2001) –Mintzberg (2004) –Nonaka (1994) Action and application Personal learning, organizational development

12. The loci of learning

13. Individual –Experienced and highly motivated Group –Sharing experience, joint projects Organization –Making a difference – Crotonville! Responses…

14. Modes of learning

15. Individual Group Company/ Organization Reflection Action Individual reflection, writing and reading, articulation of experience. Example: Reflection report. Experience sharing, class discussion, literature reviews. Example: Round- table exam Corporate dialogues, public presentation, articulation of lessons learned and implications. Example: Day of projects “Knowledge theater”. Individual action, formulation of action plans, presentation of measures for improvements. Example: Learning contract. Joint projects, joint problem identification/ solving, case assignments, project work. Example: “Live cases”. Corporate action, sponsored projects, top management assignments. Examples: Thesis work.

16. Practical means

17. 1.Reflection reports Articulation, knowledge sharing/development, implications 2.Learning contracts Commitment, learning targets, actual behavior changes 3.Roundtable examinations Abstraction, experience sharing 4.Live cases Research-industry collaboration, knowledge development, action orientation 5.Thesis work Rigor and relevance, internal consulting 6.Knowledge theaters A playing field to diffuse knowledge, turned into action

20. “Knowledge theater” Scania 2006

21. Designing knowledge theaters

22. The future of Rethinking PM education

24. 1.Trustful relationships 2.Small groups 3.Researchers as educators Papers, joint projects 4.Deep involvement Time, deep impact, management support 5.Articulation Relationship-building, common understanding 6.Expanding modes of learning Doing more with what we’ve got! 7.Orchestrating knowledge theaters Organizational development