Responsible leadership – Developing people skills in project management education in European HEI’s

We wanted to improve people skills in project management education by making responsible leadership and team well-being visible, teachable and assessable. The project aimed to analyse current prac...

We wanted to improve people skills in project management education by making responsible leadership and team well-being visible, teachable and assessable. The project aimed to analyse current practices through surveys in universities and focus groups in companies, based on these actions we identify best practices and turn them into concrete tools: three Easy Accessible Short (EAS) courses, a gamified e-simulation and a Teacher Guidebook. Ultimately, we sought to help European HEIs embed these resources so future project managers lead ethically and support well-being. As secondary aims, we wanted to position responsible leadership as the reference leadership style in project management courses at the partner universities, and to spread good practices for creating healthy, psychologically safe teams, as an alternative to authoritarian leadership models or purely task-focused teams where people are not considered important.

First, we conducted consortium activities involving scientific review, mapping, and analysis of current practices in responsible leadership, team well-being, and job crafting. We also designed and administered surveys to students and educators. Simultaneously, we designed and conducted focus groups in companies with project management professionals. Based on the results, we developed process diagrams, templates, and posters on best practices. Subsequently, we co-designed, wrote, and locally tested three accessible short courses (EAS) (Responsible Leadership, Workplace Well-being, and Career Development), which include guides, learning content, practical exercises, and assessment materials. During an intensive week in October 2024, we jointly tested these courses with students from the four partner universities. Concurrently, we designed, programmed, and tested the gamified electronic simulation RESPRO, from the conceptual framework and technical design to a demo version, a user manual, and a student feedback survey. Finally, we integrated all the results into a practical guide for faculty. Additionally, we produce the corresponding scientific publications, además de 15 steering commitees and 3 transnational meetings.

We implemented four main output lines, which resulted in tangible outcomes aligned with the work packages and accessible in the ERP system and at https://respro.webs.upv.es/results-2/. For WP1, the corresponding templates, along with website hosted at the UPV and a Project Management Kit (Quality Assurance, Dissemination, and Risk Management plans) that standardizes coordination and is an innovative approach based on the PDCA cycle. Project maps: Graphic Summary and a Results Map. For WP2, a best practices package: a block diagram for integrating best practices into the curricula, survey templates for students and faculty, a focus group script, and two posters describing the process and conclusions of the focus groups. Survey data (private) was also obtained. These outputs led to the five scientific publications. For WP3, three EAS courses were created, including methodology summary, course guides, content, practical activities, and additional assessments. For WP4, the gamified electronic game: theoretical framework, technical design, user manual, feedback survey and results. In WP5, teacher's guide: integrating all RESPRO deliverables as single pathway for incorporating responsible leadership into project management training.