Project Management. Project Managers and Their Competencies

Seminar paper from the year 2014 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1,0, http://www.uni-jena.de/, language: English, abstract: Projects are becoming increasingly important and more frequently applied in a wide range of industries. But what is so special about projects? How are they managed and can they be successfully completed? This paper represents the conclusion of the block seminar 'Project Management'. In the seminar, the individual elements and stages of project management were covered. In the present work a topic of the seminar is taken up and is to be deepened lastingly: the project manager and its authority. The question of which competencies the project manager needs in order to successfully lead and complete the project is the main focus. The focus here is particularly on the social competencies. Project management is a field that is primarily viewed from an economic perspective. By focusing on the social aspects, the topic is to be connected with the social course of studies. The aim of the thesis is to clarify the importance of the project manager and to highlight the different competencies. Furthermore, differences compared to other leadership roles will be described. The different competencies are enumerated and described to provide a good overview. The thesis starts with the definition of the terms 'project' and 'project management' as a basis for the further work. The main part of the thesis consists of two chapters: In the one chapter the role of the project manager is described, as well as its tasks, the requirements, which are placed to it, possible guidance behavior and an overview of the different guidance styles is given. The other chapter is dedicated to the social competencies, which are described in more detail. Subsequently, the work is summarized and the goal-directing question is answered. Project management is not considered in this case within a certain range, but is taken into view industry-independently. Likewise, a regular project team is assumed. Virtual teams are neglected. Helpful for this work was the literature of the seminar, but also further literature about project management and the role of the project manager.