Competencies Required of Engineering Students Conducting International Projects

Competencies Required of Engineering Students Conducting International Projects

Chetan S. Sankar
DOI: 10.4018/IJPMPA.20210701.oa
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Abstract

Given the importance of students working in international environments, this study identifies the important competencies that engineering students need so that they could work effectively. The list of competencies was identified using a realist synthesis methodology. The context of the research was thirty-seven U.S. students who worked on twenty-two international projects with companies and research centers in India. The outcome was development of multi-media case studies based on the projects. The students spent a semester preparing for the project, eight weeks working on the project, and a semester developing the case studies. Each project was evaluated and students interviewed to identify the competencies that were utilized by the students. Analysis of these evaluations showed that successful projects trained the students to be competent in the technology domain of the project and encouraged them to communicate well with their counterparts.
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Literature Review

Even though there are many different definitions of competencies, the following two definitions are appropriate given the international nature of the projects analyzed in this paper. Competencies for project management can be defined as the knowledge, aptitudes, attitudes, and behaviors that are needed to carry out a piece of work that has a definite starting and end point (Boyatzis, 1982, 1996). Competency represents the ability to demonstrate appropriate behaviors in the application of relevant knowledge and skills in order to achieve effective performance in the context of a specific project (Hager & Gonczi, 1996).

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