Learning by Experience in the Project-Bases Organization

Abstract

This paper describes how project-based organizations use structured experience to aid the learning and development of individuals, and how they capture their experience of projects to feed that back into the improved management of future projects and the experiential learning of individuals. We show that successful project-based organizations ensure their project managers obtain a broad range practical experiences following a spiral staircase career. This takes them through lead design and project team leadership and management roles. These organizations also capture project experience through post completion reviews, and codify them in company procedures which are used as part of the development of new project managers and other professionals.

Keywords: tacit knowledge, explicit knowledge, experiential learning, benchmarking, project management support networks

JEL Classification: M, M10, L2