The Differences Between an Internal and External Project Manager

The differences between an Internal and External Project Manager (IPM & EPM) are usually overlooked in the project management literature. However these differences may have a significant importance when selecting a project manager, having possible adverse impact on the overall project performanc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Revista de Gestão e Projetos 2014-05, Vol.5 (2), p.1-23
Main Authors: Sato, Carlos Eduardo Yamasaki, Gnanaratnam, Ajantha Samuel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
External Project Manager
Internal Project Manager
Literature reviews
Management styles
Managers
Professional recruitment
Project management
Project Success
Project Type
Studies
Success
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Summary:The differences between an Internal and External Project Manager (IPM & EPM) are usually overlooked in the project management literature. However these differences may have a significant importance when selecting a project manager, having possible adverse impact on the overall project performance if these differences are not properly considered. This paper elaborates a framework for the differences between an IPM and EPM and tests it against three organisations using quantitative (survey) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews) research methods. The research concludes that both types of PMs should not be viewed within the same light, as they each have a different role, skillset, issue management style and project success rate. In particular, IPMs tend to deploy a more 'reactive', whereas EPMs tend to use a more 'proactive' management style. Also, moving from IPM to EPM is frequently seen as a career progression. These differences may have major implications on how project managers are selected, promoted and recruited.
ISSN:2236-0972
2236-0972
DOI:10.5585/gep.v5i2.264