Perceived managerial functions in the front end phase of innovation
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore managerial functions and related activities of inexperienced project managers in the front end of the innovation (FEI) process. Design/methodology/approach In total, 15 student project managers were interviewed while they were engaged in the front end phase of their respective eight month projects. In total, 757 interview transcript segments on their perceptions of managerial functions were categorized based on thematic similarity of content. Findings Four major managerial functions emerged: providing structural support, coordinating and acting as a link, empowering the team, and encouraging and providing social support. Out of these, traditional task oriented managerial functions were emphasized. Research limitations/implications Although limited by the small amount of participants in a university setting, the results suggest that task oriented managerial functions are dominant even in the FEI for inexperienced project managers. More research is nee.