Proposing New Directions on Project Management Professionalisation: with a social exchange perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the potential novel applications of social exchange theory (SET) in theorising project management professionalisation and how this new understanding can guide project management professional associations in engaging their stakeholders and delivering the intentions of the association.
Approach – This paper is literature review based and conceptual. It identifies and applies the tenets of SET, which are resource, power and attachment based on the perception of the beneficial resource. These were used to model professionalisation strategies’ frameworks in a well-researched professionalisation process; American educators. Thereafter it compares current project management associations’ situations with conceptual frameworks developed from the analysis of the established profession.
Findings – The nature of the relationship between project management professional associations and their present and potential members was theorised. This revealed possible explanations for problems of project management professional associations on assisting the field to obtain power. Solutions for professionalising project management suggested by SET include enhancing the value of the resources provided by associations and on understanding the perceptions of value from industry-specific contexts to gain power within certain workplaces and sharing responsibilities for certain organisational goals.
Implications: The paper has presented alternative view on power getting process within professionalisation for project management, also has point out important gaps and question for research into the current status of project management professionalisation.