A project sponsor's impact on practice-based learning within projects

Drawing on a longitudinal action research case study analysis of project-based learning, this paper seeks to advance a deeper understanding of a project sponsor's impact on practice-based learning activity within a project. It represents a first case examination of the interface between a sponsor and practice-based learning phenomenon within projects. The reported findings argue for the project sponsor role to be acknowledged as dynamic and interactive and a dramatic influence on project practice-based learning. It also implies that a sponsor confronts some significant dilemmas in successfully stewarding such learning. Moreover, through such endeavour, the sponsor may also become an agent for organizational learning. The findings generated also encourage further investigations into the nexus between the sponsor and other social phenomenon within projects.

► The sponsor role should be considered as highly influential within projects. ► Project sponsors can dramatically impact situated learning in a project team. ► A sponsor faces difficult dilemmas in stewarding situated learning in a team. ► In fostering situated learning the sponsor is an agent for organizational learning.