Researchers have not studied the human side of project managers thoroughly. Decision-making mechanisms lie not only in technocratic knowledge but also in practitioners’ inner cultures and personal lifestyles. Highlighting the human (f)actor behind the strategic decisions made in projects reveals a new path for analyzing project managers. This article applies Bourdieu’s practice theory within the field of project management through a qualitative study into 17 successful and experienced Greek project managers. The results exhibit the common social characteristics of successful project managers and suggest that project managers must be viewed from a sociological perspective as well.
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