Dancing in the white spaces: Exploring gendered assumptions in successful project managers' discourse about their work

Janice Lynne Thomas; Pamela Buckle-Henning

doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2007.05.001

Dancing in the white spaces: Exploring gendered assumptions in successful project managers' discourse about their work

Janice Lynne Thomas
, Pamela Buckle-Henning

Faculty of Business

Adelphi University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal Article › peer-review

33 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

By design, bodies of knowledge capture and influence best working practices. Gendered assumptions based on masculine cognitive styles are predominant in the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) [PMI. Project Management Body of Knowledge. Project Management Institute 1996]. This study investigates the assumptions and cognitive styles embedded in successful project managers' discussions of their working practices. Both male and female project managers exhibit sophisticated skill in balancing masculine and feminine cognitive styles and attribute their success to "dancing in the white spaces" between the lines laid out by the PMBOK. This raises important questions about the role of the PMBOK in training and certifying project managers.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	552-559
Number of pages	8
Journal	International Journal of Project Management
Volume	25
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2007.05.001
Publication status	Published - Oct. 2007

Keywords

Cognitive styles
Discourse
Gender
Project management
Project manager skills

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10.1016/j.ijproman.2007.05.001

Cite this

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title = "Dancing in the white spaces: Exploring gendered assumptions in successful project managers' discourse about their work",

abstract = "By design, bodies of knowledge capture and influence best working practices. Gendered assumptions based on masculine cognitive styles are predominant in the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) [PMI. Project Management Body of Knowledge. Project Management Institute 1996]. This study investigates the assumptions and cognitive styles embedded in successful project managers' discussions of their working practices. Both male and female project managers exhibit sophisticated skill in balancing masculine and feminine cognitive styles and attribute their success to {"}dancing in the white spaces{"} between the lines laid out by the PMBOK. This raises important questions about the role of the PMBOK in training and certifying project managers.",

keywords = "Cognitive styles, Discourse, Gender, Project management, Project manager skills",

author = "Thomas, \{Janice Lynne\} and Pamela Buckle-Henning",

note = "Funding Information: Funding support for this project came from the Organizational Behaviour Research Grant Program of the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. Participating researchers included members of the University of Calgary{\textquoteright}s Management and Engineering faculties, its Project Management Specialization, and Athabasca University{\textquoteright}s Centre for Innovative Management.",

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language = "English",

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AU - Thomas, Janice Lynne

AU - Buckle-Henning, Pamela

N1 - Funding Information: Funding support for this project came from the Organizational Behaviour Research Grant Program of the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. Participating researchers included members of the University of Calgary’s Management and Engineering faculties, its Project Management Specialization, and Athabasca University’s Centre for Innovative Management.

PY - 2007/10

Y1 - 2007/10

N2 - By design, bodies of knowledge capture and influence best working practices. Gendered assumptions based on masculine cognitive styles are predominant in the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) [PMI. Project Management Body of Knowledge. Project Management Institute 1996]. This study investigates the assumptions and cognitive styles embedded in successful project managers' discussions of their working practices. Both male and female project managers exhibit sophisticated skill in balancing masculine and feminine cognitive styles and attribute their success to "dancing in the white spaces" between the lines laid out by the PMBOK. This raises important questions about the role of the PMBOK in training and certifying project managers.

AB - By design, bodies of knowledge capture and influence best working practices. Gendered assumptions based on masculine cognitive styles are predominant in the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) [PMI. Project Management Body of Knowledge. Project Management Institute 1996]. This study investigates the assumptions and cognitive styles embedded in successful project managers' discussions of their working practices. Both male and female project managers exhibit sophisticated skill in balancing masculine and feminine cognitive styles and attribute their success to "dancing in the white spaces" between the lines laid out by the PMBOK. This raises important questions about the role of the PMBOK in training and certifying project managers.

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KW - Discourse

KW - Gender

KW - Project management

KW - Project manager skills

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U2 - 10.1016/j.ijproman.2007.05.001

DO - 10.1016/j.ijproman.2007.05.001

M3 - Journal Article

AN - SCOPUS:34447576882

SN - 0263-7863

VL - 25

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EP - 559

JO - International Journal of Project Management

JF - International Journal of Project Management

IS - 6

ER -

Dancing in the white spaces: Exploring gendered assumptions in successful project managers' discourse about their work

Abstract

Keywords

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