What is the soft-skill-set required by project managers and do Generation Y students in Ireland possess them?
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Authors
Voelkening, Sina
Issue Date
2014
Degree
MBA in Project Management
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
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Abstract
The aim of this dissertation is to identify the soft skill set required as successful project manager and to analyse through primary research which of those soft skills the future workforces of Generation Y born students in Ireland possess. Considering an increase demand of the project manager position in the next six years, as well as demographic changes there is the concern of talent gaps in the future. Especially in western Europe, this research seeks to consult project management related organisations on soft skills the students of Generation Y in Ireland, who are next in line to enter the organisations, are most likely, likely and least likely (possible skill gaps) to possess. These results will help companies to be prepared for employing the next generation in project management related positions regarding the soft skills they bring into the company. As a result of intensive literature reviews this research found twenty soft skills most required by successful project managers today. Furthermore, the Generation Y was defined and explained which characteristics of Generation Y are mentioned in surveys done before. As a result, assumptions could be made as to which soft skills of the soft skills set required as project manager may be possessed by members of Generation Y. These assumptions were then compared to the results of the primary research in the discussion part of this dissertation. The outcome of the primary research showed that Generation Y students in Ireland displayed a tendency towards slightly agreeing and agreeing with all soft skill questions asked in the for this research used quantitative student questionnaire measured with the overall arithmetic mean. Using slight variations in the calculated arithmetic mean of each soft skill question, nine soft skills were identified as most likely, five as likely and seven as least likely possessed by Generation Y students in Ireland. Author keywords: Soft skills, project manager, project management, Generation Y, PM, project manager, tasks and competences, soft skill gaps