Springer Project Management in the 21st Century: What You Need to Know About the Elephant, Eco-system and Experience (Management for Professionals)

This is a different kind of book on project management. Using a narrative tone, humor and personal anecdotes, the author highlights the significant gaps in current project management theory as well as disparities within project management practice. This book then provides managers with new models for project management and value creation using chaos and complexity theories, systems thinking and quantum mechanics to explore a more holistic view of project management. Drawing on these bodies of knowledge, the author proposes the existence of an ecosystem that surrounds projects, explains how the project and its ecosystem are distinct, but co-dependent entities, and shows why both need to be managed using very different competencies. From the Back Cover This is a different kind of book on project management. Using a narrative tone, humor and personal anecdotes, the author highlights the significant gaps in current project management theory as well as disparities within project management practice. This book then provides managers with new models for project management and value creation using chaos and complexity theories, systems thinking and quantum mechanics to explore a more holistic view of project management. Drawing on these bodies of knowledge, the author proposes the existence of an ecosystem that surrounds projects, explains how the project and its ecosystem are distinct, but co-dependent entities, and shows why both need to be managed using very different competencies. About the Author Dr. Greg Usher (PhD) is an Executive General Manager for the international consulting firm, RPS Group. In his role he manages a team of over 200 consultant client-side project managers, who manage high-value construction projects across Australia. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Project Management, an Editorial board member and production manager for Project Management Research and Practice, and is a Certified Practicing Program Executive (the highest level available under the AIPM RegPM system). He has authored multiple peer-reviewed research papers and presented his findings at project management conferences, both in Australia and internationally.