Rethinking project management: A structured literature review with a critical look at the brave new world

•We have reviewed and categorized the Rethinking Project Management (RPM) literature•Categories are contextualization, social & political aspects, rethinking practice•...complexity & uncertainty, actuality of projects, and broader conceptualization•RPM literature dates back to the 1980s, but majority was published in 2006 onwards•The overall challenge for RPM is to become much more diffused and accepted

This paper presents the results of a structured review of the rethinking project management (RPM) literature based on the classification and analysis of 74 contributions and in addition takes a critical look at this brave new world. Through the analysis, a total of 6 overarching categories emerged: contextualization, social and political aspects, rethinking practice, complexity and uncertainty, actuality of projects and broader conceptualization. These categories cover a broad range of different contributions with diverse and alternative perspectives on project management. The early RPM literature dates back to the 1980s, while the majority was published in 2006 onwards, and the research stream appears to be still active. A critical look at this brave new world exhibits the overall challenge for RPM to become much more diffused and accepted.