Key competences of research and development project managers in high technology sector

Katarzyna  Szczepańska-Woszczyna; Sylwia  Gatnar

doi:10.23762/FSO_VOL10_NO3_6

Published : 2022-09-29

Vol. 10 No. 3 (2022)

Key competences of research and development project managers in high technology sector

Katarzyna Szczepańska-Woszczyna

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0731-8049

Sylwia Gatnar

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23762/FSO_VOL10_NO3_6

Abstract

Activities related to research and development work are of great importance to the growth and development of enterprises, in particular those from the advanced technology sector, which operate at the interface between science and economy. A significant part of research and development work is carried out in the form of design work, and one of the factors proving the success thereof is a well-selected and competent project team and the competences of R&D project managers, who play a key role in the process of project task implementation. The aim of the article is to identify the competences of an R&D project manager based on the example of a selected high-tech enterprise. Despite numerous scientific studies verifying key managerial competences, there is a lack of research on the competences of R&D project managers. Data has been gathered via a single cross-sectional survey with a structured questionnaire based on a group of 67 employees of PREVAC Sp. z o.o., a company in the high-tech sector. Exploratory factor analysis has been used to analyse the empirical results of the study. The results of the study indicate that social and intrapersonal competences are the most desirable among the key competences of the R&D project manager, while the remaining ones complement this model.

Keywords:

competences, project management, high-tech, advanced technologies, research and development

Details

References

Statistics

Authors

Download files

PDF

Citation rules

Szczepańska-Woszczyna, K. ., & Gatnar, S. . (2022). Key competences of research and development project managers in high technology sector. Forum Scientiae Oeconomia, 10(3), 107–130. https://doi.org/10.23762/FSO_VOL10_NO3_6

Altmetric indicators

Cited by / Share

Licence

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

References

AIPM (2008), Professional Competency Standards for Project Management (Part A,B,C,D,E ed.), Sydney: AIPM – Australian Institute of Project Management.

Alvarenga, J. C., Branco, R. R., Guedes, A. L., Soares, C. A., Silva, W. S. (2020), The project manager core competencies to project success, International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 13(2), 277-292. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-12-2018-0274

Ammeter, A., Dukerich, J. (2002), Leadership, team building, and team member characteristics in high performance project teams, Engineering Management Journal, 14(4), 3-9. DOI: 10.1080/10429247.2002.11415178

Baker, K., Baker, S. (1998), Project Management, New York: Alpha books.

Boyatzis, R. (1982), The Competent Manager. A Model for Effective Performance, New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Boyles, T. (2012), 21st Century knowledge, skills, and abilities and entrepreneurial competencies: A model for undergraduate entrepreneurship education, Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, 15, 41-56.

Butkiewicz, M. (1995), Struktura modelu polskich standardów kwalifikacyjnych. Edukacja i praca – projekt badawczy KBN nr 1 P113 001 06 [The structure of the model of Polish qualification standards. Education and work – KBN research project No. 1 P113 001 06]. Warszawa: KBN. (Original work published in Polish).

Chen, H.L., Lin, Y.L. (2018), Goal orientations, leader-leader exchange, trust, and the outcomes of project performance, International Journal of Project Management, 36(5), 716-729. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2018.03.009.

Chipulu, M., Neoh, J. G., Ojiako, U., Williams, T. (2013), A Multidimensional Analysis of Project Manager Competences, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 60(3), 506-517. DOI: 10.1109/TEM.2012.2215330

Clarke, N. (2010), Emotional Intelligence and Its Relationship to Transformational Leadership and Key Project Manager Competences, Project Management Journal, 41(2), 5-20. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.20162

Cygler, J., Sroka, W. (2017), Coopetition Disadvantages: The Case of the High Tech Companies, Inzinerine Ekonomika-Engineering Economics, 28(5), 494–504. https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.ee.28.5.16421

Dreyfus, C. (2008), Identifying competencies that predict effectiveness of R&D managers, Journal of Management Development, 27(1), 81-82. DOI: 10.1108/02621710810840776

ECITB (2003), National Occupational Standards for Project Management (v.1.1 ed.), United Kingdom: ECITB – Engineering Construction Industry Training Board.

EUROSTAT (2014), Indicators of High-tech, Industry and knowledge – intensive services, Rev. 2, retrieved from: https:// www.ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Glossary:High-tech (accessed 21 February 2021).

Hejduk, I. (2005), On the Way to the Future: The Knowledge-Based Enterprise, Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing, 15(1), 5-14.

Hatzichronoglou, T. (1997), Revision of the high-technology sector and product classification, STI Working Papers 1997/2, OCDE/GD(97)216, retrieved from: https://www.cepal.org (accessed 20 July 2022).

IPMA (2006), Competency Baseline (v.3.0 ed.), IPMA – International Project Management

Association.

Ismail, N., Kot, S., Aziz, A.S.A., Rajiani, I. (2020), From Innovation to Market: Integrating University and industry perspectives towards commercializing research output, Forum Scientiae Oeconomia, 8(4), 100-115. DOI: 10.23762/FSO _VOL 8_NO4_6

Karahan, O. (2015), Intensity of Business Enterprise R&D Expenditure and High-Tech Specification in European Manufacturing Sector, Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 195, 806–813. DOI: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.06.180

Kaszowska-Mojsa, J. (2020), Innovation strategies of manufacturing companies during expansions and slowdowns, Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 8(4), 47-66. DOI:10.15678/EBER.2020.080403

Kezsborn, S., Edward, A. (2001), The New Dynamic Project Management, Winning Through the Competitive Advantage, New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Kisielnicki, J. (2014), Project management in research and development, Foundations of Management, 6(3), 57-70. DOI: 10.1515/fman-2015-0018

Kisielnicki, J., Misiak, A. (2017), Effectiveness of agile compared to waterfall implementation methods in it projects: Analysis based on business intelligence projects, Foundations of Management, 9(1), 273-286. DOI: 10.1515/fman-2017-0021

Korpus, J., Banach, Ł. (2017), Przedsiębiorstwa z sektora wysokich technologii w erze gospodarki cyfrowej, [High-tech enterprises in the digital economy era], Ekonomika i Organizacja Przedsiębiorstwa, 3(806), 132–140. (Original work published in Polish).

Kratzer, J., Leenders, R., Van Engelen, J. (2006), Managing creative team performance in virtual environments: an empirical study in 44 R&D teams, Technovation, 26(1), 42-49. DOI: 10.1016/j.technovation.2004.07.016

Kurowska-Pysz, J. (2014), Shaping of Competencies of Managers in Academic Incubators of Entrepreneurship in Poland, Organizacija, 47(1), 52-65. https://doi.org/10.2478/orga-2014-0005

Lantz, J.-S., Sahut, J.-M. (2005), R&D Investment and the Financial Performance of Technological Firms, International Journal of Business, 10(3), 251-270.

Luo G., Budnik, K., Bogdziun, D., Tworek, K. (2021), Dynamic IT capabilities and their influence on job performance through teamwork, Forum Scientiae Oeconomia, 9(1), 59-73. DOI: 10.23762/fso_Vol9_no1_4

Mainga, W. (2017), Examining project learning, project management competencies, and project efficiency in project-based firms (PBFs), International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 10(3), 454-504. DOI: 10.1108/IJMPB-04-2016-0035

McClelland, D. C. (1973), Testing for competence rather than for “intelligence, American Psychologist, 28(1), 1–14.

Medcof, J. W. (1999), Identifying ‘Super –Technology’ Industries, Research – Technology Management, 42(4), 31-36. DOI: 10.1080/08956308.1999.11671292

Meekaewkunchorn, N., Szczepańska-Woszczyna, K., Muangmee, Ch., Kassakorn, N., Khalid, B. (2021), Entrepreneurial orientation and SME performance: The mediating role of learning orientation, Economics & Sociology, 14(2), 294-312. DOI: 10.14254/2071-789X.2021/14-2/16

Mikła, A. (2020), Managerial Competencies Management – A Practical Approach. Education Excellence and Innovation Management: A 2025 Vision To Sustain Economic Development During Global Challenges, 35th

International-Business-Information-Management-Association Conference (IBIMA), 17909–17915.

Milcovich, G., Newman, J. (1999), Compensation, Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Moore, D.R., Cheng, M., Dainty, A.R.J. (2002), Competence, competency and competencies: performance assessment in organisations, Work Study, 51(6), 314-319. DOI: 10.1108/00438020210441876

Müller, R., Turner, R. (2010), Leadership competency profiles of successful project managers, International Journal of Project Management, 28(5), 437-448. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijproman.2009.09.003

Nurick, A. (1993), Facilitating effective work team, SAM Advanced Management Journal, 58(1), 22. OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2017: The digital transformation, OECD iLibrary (oecd-ilibrary.org)

PMI (2007), Project Management Competency Development Framework, USA: PMI – Project Management Institute.

Porter, M. E., Ketels, C., Delgado, M. (2007), The Microeconomic Foundations of Prosperity: Findings from the Business Competitiveness, The World Economic Forum, The Global Competitiveness Report 2007–2008, Geneva: WEF, 51-81.

Ratinger, T., Čadil, V., Amoako Agyemang, S. (2020), Are there any economic impacts of business R&D support? The case of the Czech Republic, Central European Business Review, 9(5), 45-62. DOI: 10.18267/j.cebr.251

Sindhu, S., Mor, R.S. (2022), Modelling the interactions among enablers of technology entrepreneurship: An ISM and Fuzzy-MICMAC approach, Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 10(2), 97-111. DOI:10.15678/EBER.2022.100206

Spałek, S. (2014), Success factors in project management. Literature review, Proceedings of 8th International Technology, Education and Development Conference INTED2014 (pp. 4828-4835), Valencia, Spain, 10-12.03.2014.

Spencer, L., Spencer, S. (1993), Competence at work, New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Stor, M. (1995), Kapitał menedżerski jako źródło przewagi konkurencyjnej przedsiębiorstwa, in: M. Stor, T.Listwan (Eds.), Sukces w zarządzaniu kadrami. Różnorodność w zarządzaniu kapitałem ludzkim – podejścia, metody, narzędzia. Problemy zarządczo-ekonomiczne [Managerial capital as a source of a company’s competitive advantage, in: Success in human resources management. Diversity in human capital management – approaches, methods, tools. Management and economic problems] (349 ed.), Wrocław: Uniwersytet Wrocławski.

Szczepańska-Woszczyna, K. (2020), Management Theory, Innovation and Organisation: A Model of Managerial Competencies, London: Routledge.

Szczepańska-Woszczyna, K., Dacko-Pikiewicz, Z. (2014), Managerial competencies and innovations in the company–The case of enterprises in Poland, Business, Management and Education, 12(2), 266-282. DOI: 10.3846/bme.2014.240

Trajtenberg, M. (2001), Innovation in Israel 1968–1997: A comparative analysis using patent data, Research Policy, 33(3), 363-389. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-7333(00)00089-5

Trocki, M. (2016), Project Management – Challenges and Research Results, Warszawa: SGH.

Trocki, M., Bukłaha, E., Grucza, B., Juchniewicz, M., Metelski, W., Wyrozębski, P. (2012), Modern project management, Warszawa: PWE.

Viitala, R. (1995), Perceived development needs of managers compared to an integrated management competency model, Journal of Workplace Learning, 17(7), 436-451. https://doi.org/10.1108/13665620510620025

White, R. (1959), Motivation reconsidered: The concept of competence, Psychological Review, 66(5), 297-333. DOI: 10.1037/h0040934

Zabolotniaia, M., Cheng, Z., Dacko-Pikiewicz, Z. (2019), Influence of leadership style on employees’ innovative activity, Polish Journal of Management Studies, 20(1), 478-496. DOI: 10.17512/pjms.2019.20.1.41

Zakrzewska-Bielawska, A. (2010), High Technology Company-concept, Nature, Characteristics, Recent Advances in Management, Marketing, Finances, 93-98.

Zakrzewska-Bielawska, A. (2012), The strategic dilemmas of innovative enterprises: Proposals for high-technology sectors, R&D Management, 42(5), 303–314.