Introduction to the Project Management Institute’s Reprint Series

Jeffrey K. Pinto, Ph.D., and Jeffrey Trailer, Ph.D.

THIS BOOK MARKS an important milestone in the Project Management Institute’s Publishing Division: the creation of a reprint series based on important past research articles from the Project Management Journal and PM Network. These reprints represent our selection of the best articles that have appeared in these publications in the past ten years on a wide variety of topics. This first edition, on project management leadership, includes some of the most important articles on leadership and its pivotal role in successful project development and implementation.

The idea of creating a reprint series came about through a series of conversations we had with members of the Project Management Institute Publishing Division, particularly with Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Jim Pennypacker. A number of issues have been driving this development, most notably, the tremendous growth in membership of the Project Management Institute in the past few years. We feel quite keenly that a great deal of important work has been published in the Project Management Journal and PM Network in the past decade that is now essentially unavailable to new members. As a result, the reprint series serves the important role of making available to our newer and fast-growing membership some of the key work in project management theory and practice. Also, with the tremendous interest in project management professional certification, this reprint series should provide an important supplement for those studying for certification. Likewise, as more and more universities and colleges are developing project management courses, these reprint booklets will offer instructors and students alike useful and highly readable leading-edge research on key project management topics.

Our plan is to develop a series of books around specific project management themes. Some of the themes that have already been agreed upon and are in process include research on project rework cycles and cross-functional collaboration, new developments in planning and scheduling, project risk management, and key management problems in project teams, to name just a few. Our goal is to introduce a new reprint book based on one of these themes approximately every quarter.

We—the staff of Project Management Institute (PMI) Publishing Division and the reprint series editors—would love to hear from the PMI membership regarding specific ideas for reprint series topics. Because our goal is to best serve our constituency, we want to ensure that the topics covered are those most beneficial to the readership. We would appreciate any suggestions you may have for additional reprint topics in the years ahead.

Finally, this preface would not be complete without our grateful acknowledgment of the tremendous support we have and continue to receive from the PMI Publishing Division. Jim Pennypacker, as always, has been a huge catalyst, cheerleader, and champion for our ideas. These ideas and this book could not have progressed without his personal commitment and help. Thanks, Jim. Likewise, Jeff Pinto was fortunate to serve as editor of the Project Management Journal in collaboration with two highly energetic and dedicated individuals: Dr. Francis Webster and Ms. Sandy Jenkins. It was as a result of their efforts that almost seven years of editorial work went smoothly and happily. His gratitude to them both is immense. Bobby Hensley has been a wonderful colleague and help as the acquisitions editor at PMI Publishing Division; we appreciate his input and support. Lastly, no acknowledgment would be complete without paying particular tribute to the support we have received from our spouses, Mary Beth Pinto and Holli Trailer. Although we have used the words often in the past, they certainly bear repetition here: a heartfelt “thank you” to them both.