From Organisational Capability Pressures to Project Manager Competences - A Single-Case Study in a Business Transformation Setting
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This thesis explores how project manager competences are shaped by business transformation contexts under evolving organisational capability pressures. In increasingly complex and changing business environments, organisations rely on projects to translate strategic priorities into practice and support organisational value creation. As a result, the role of project managers is expanding beyond traditional delivery responsibilities, requiring broader competences to navigate change, coordination, uncertainty, sustainability considerations and emerging organisational demands. Using a qualitative single-case study, this research examines how project managers experience transformation related pressures and how these pressures influence the competences required in practice. The study also considers how selected professional project management competence frameworks reflect these emerging competence needs. The findings show that business transformation project work requires both established project management competences and broader people centred, adaptive and context-sensitive capabilities. This thesis contributes to project management literature by linking organisational capability pressures to individual project manager competences, including the growing relevance of sustainability as part of transformation project work. It also provides practical insights for organisations seeking to strengthen project management capability in transformation settings and to better support project managers in responding to changing organisational priorities.
Authors: Graiff, Mattia, Cassalini, Giorgia
Language: English
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7203802331