A multi generational approach to project management: implications for engineering education in a smart world

In a fast pace evolving smart world, underlined by technology change and market globalisation, project management is of paramount importance for companies to deliver competitive goods and services. To be effective, project teams should master processes, personal, technical and business competencies. The teaching of project management could be adapted in order to reduce the gap that seems to exist between the engineer graduate profile and the requirements that challenge professional engineers today, namely equipping new engineers with sound soft skills. Generation Z, currently studying in HEIs, has characteristics, needs and expectations that should be considered when discussing potential changes in project management education. This paper explores these topics. The literature review establishes the characteristics of generation Z, project management teaching trends, and draws implications for the teaching of project management within the scope of engineering education. A sample of 147 Generation Z undergraduate students filled a self-report questionnaire considering personality, resilience and emotional intelligence to assess their awareness about the traits that are relevant for project management. Through their self-assessment results, the participating students are aware of some of their characteristics, namely orientation towards results, high resilience and low neuroticism. Due to the high resilience indicators and low levels of neuroticism, Generation Z can be an important asset within a multigenerational project team. Also, some inconsistencies were identified as the participants displayed high levels of agreeableness and low levels of openness to experience. These results are discussed, linking personality traits of Generation Z with some important soft skills in project management, including teamwork and communication skills. Finally, recommendations and approaches for teaching project management in engineering education programs are presented.