Taking a Project Management Perspective on Design Science Research

摘要

In this paper we develop a project management (PM) perspective on design science research (DSR). We account for the increasing amount of DSR projects that are emerging in public-private research collaborations and that align both business needs and research rigor. In addition to the application of sound research methodologies, the successful management of the work relations constitutes an important success factor for DSR projects. Hence the need emerges for professional project management. However, certain features such as creativity, uncertainty in terms of the research method and outcome, and research rigor complicate the application of standard PM approaches and make certain adaptations necessary. The goal of this paper is to identify a set of characteristics specific to DSR projects and to analyse their implications for selecting and adapting established project management standards. For evaluation purposes, we are using the PMBOK? Guide by the Project Management Institute which is commonly accepted and widely used in practice and academia.