CHAPTER 21

Professionalization of Project Management

What Does It Mean for Practice?

JANICE THOMAS, PHD, CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE MANAGEMENT, ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY

As work has become more knowledge oriented, information workers in various occupations have recognized the similarity of their work to the traditional professions of the twentieth century. Many of these occupations, led by teaching, nursing, and social work, and including financial planners, surveyors, and many others, have embarked on professionalization initiatives seeking the recognition and privileges traditionally associated with medicine, law, accounting, engineering, and very few other occupations.

In the last decade of the twentieth century, project managers launched a similar ...

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