According to the Professional Project Management Institute (PMI), Project communications plans facilitate effective communication, set and manage expectations, better manage stakeholders, and aid in the project planning process (Jubert, 2020). This paper will examine the gaps between the academic and practical aspects of implementing the project communications plan.
Project management theories:
Although the academic study of project management theories aims primarily to apply knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet the requirements of each individual project (PMBOK® Guide, 2021), this means it is an empirical science. Still, gaps occur between theory and practice when project managers struggle to integrate knowledge gained in an academic environment with practice in the real world. Some of the gaps can be mentioned as follows:
- The theory is valid when it is outdated and does not fit the new situation (Wilfred Carr, 1980).
For example, writing and sending daily project reports has become more accessible through software applications, where the engineer enters and chooses from among the business items without specific formats that the theoretical study recommended before.
- The appropriateness of the theory: due to lack of agreement about which theory is best and which can be applied in a given situation (Allsopp et al., 2006)
For example, many theories exist about dealing with this, so the appropriate choice rests with the project manager and his/her experience.
- The lack of the theory, which is known as (the research gap), which is the question that the theory did not answer directly or that there is no answer at all (Allsopp et al., 2006)
For example, the classification of stakeholders' powers is no longer the same. As for now, a video filmed by a project worker about a defective part and spread on social media can have a greater impact than the anger of large-scale stakeholders due to a communication problem.
- DiThe difficulty of the theory: Some researchers use complex terms in a language that only university professors can understand because it is difficult to link the meanings (Kinyaduka, 2017).
For example, during the MBA study, some business administration books intertwined ideas, making it difficult for a novice researcher to find an answer to specific questions.
Suggested solutions:
1. It is necessary to trace the latest findings of academic studies and differentiate between them from the old studies, which were developed for a specific time and a different situation than now (Heiskanen & Newman, 1997).
2. Some studies are based on the direct application of theory to real situations and direct solutions to these situations. These researches are considered better than others in the field of project management.
3. The relationship between the practitioner's experience and the scholar's feedback must grow and continue to serve both practice and research (Kinyaduka, 2017).
Conclusion
In project management, especially in managing project communications between employees and stakeholders, the project manager as a practitioner benefits from the latest academic findings. For example, the book Osional Project Management Institute is updated every period to conform to the findings of project management techniques and to bridge the gap between research and practice.
References
Allsopp, D. H., DeMarie, D., Alvarez-McHatton, P., & Doone, E. (2006). Bridging the gap between theory and practice: Connecting courses with field experiences. Teacher Education Quarterly, 33(1), 19-35.
Heiskanen, A., & Newman, M. (1997). Bridging the gap between information systems research and practice: the reflective practitioner as a researcher. ICIS 1997 Proceedings, 8.
Joubert, S. (2020). The Critical Role of Communication in Project Management, Northeastern University.
https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/communication-in-project-management/
Kinyaduka, B. D. (2017). Why Are We Unable to Bridging Theory-Practice Gap in the Context of a Plethora of Literature on Its Causes, Effects, and Solutions? Journal of Education and Practice, 8(6), 102–105. Retrieved from ERIC database.
PMBOK® Guide. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge.
https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/PMBOK
Wilfred Carr (1980) The Gap between Theory and Practice, Journal of Further and Higher Education, 4:1, 60-69, DOI: 10.1080/0309877800040107