Profiling the context and opportunities for Australian project management research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present and analyse the context, the current issues and the opportunities for project management (PM) research within Australia. The paper contributes to researcher and industry practitioner knowledge and debates on supporting and promoting the development of national PM research agendas. Design/methodology/approach – This is a research paper which draws on and interprets empirical data generated from a comprehensive national survey of Australian PM researchers. Findings – The paper first profiles the current landscape of Australian PM research. Thereafter, it explores the future opportunities/risks for PM research in this country, as perceived by the researcher community. Research limitations/implications – This research was limited to the collection of data from PM researchers across Australia (80 percent response rate to the survey tool). Clearly, this study was confined to one country and to one category of respondent. Practical implications – This paper will make contributions to national and international debates and analysis on current research trajectories and future opportunities in the PM field and thereby also aid comparative knowledge development within the researcher community. Originality/value – This paper represents the first comprehensive national PM researcher study undertaken in Australia. It provides a compelling national insight into the current state of PM research as perceived by PM researchers and illustrates issues concerning their research contexts, their links to industry partners and perceptions of industry and industry representative body engagement in PM research activity.