From the Editors-in-Chief

Change is constant. In our discipline, we recognize that change presents both challenges and opportunities. With this issue, Project Management Journal^® (PMJ) announces noteworthy changes that present opportunities to enhance recent progress. First, the Project Management Institute (PMI) has contracted with SAGE Publishing to be a partner in the production and distribution of our journal. Second, the Editorial Board has experienced some transitions, but it is still dedicated to producing high-quality content that reflects the best in project research.

The partnership with SAGE Publishing opens up a world of opportunity. Past, present, and future articles will receive greater exposure through expanded indexing and online availability. SAGE assists editors in the development and promotion of journals; their history of success is unquestioned, their ethical standards are high, and their prowess in the journal industry is well known and respected. PMJ and its authors will clearly benefit from the increased exposure and services provided by SAGE Publishing.

Changes to the Editorial Board bring a touch of sadness along with anticipation. Most notable is the retirement of Hans Georg Gemünden from the role of editor-in-chief (EiC), which he undertook after a long academic career in innovation and later in project management. During his tenure as EiC, Hans Georg built a strong editorial board, raised awareness of the journal as an outlet for high-quality research, elevated PMJ’s impact factor from under a 1 to a 2.7 this past year, and helped secure the partnership with SAGE Publishing. As EiC, Hans Georg was an inspirational leader and a joy to work with. To continue the levels of contribution and energy in the EiC role, the Editorial Board has replaced him with Ralf Müller and Gary Klein, who will both serve as EiCs. Although we are sad to see Hans Georg leave, we are encouraged and expect to see his continued contributions to the content of the journal.

Other members of the Editorial Board chose to leave, but not until they helped shape the direction and progress of PMJ. We wish to thank Monique Aubry of the University of Quebec at Montreal, Tim Brady of the University of Brighton, Jaakko Kujala of the University of Oulu, Catherine Killen of the University of Technology Sydney, and Gina Vega of Organizational Ergonomics.

We are pleased to welcome Kam Jugdev and Kim van Oorschot to the PMJ Editorial Board. Kam is Professor of Project Management and Strategy in the Faculty of Business at Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada, and Kim is Professor of Project Management at BI Norwegian Business School. We look forward to a long and productive collaboration with both.

Needless to say, we also appreciate the many guest editors and the continuing service of those listed in the front matter of the journal. The remaining core team is strong, and we will continue to add new Editorial Board members of high community standing.

One constant is the support from PMI. Although the partnership with SAGE means changes to the complex project of producing each issue of the journal, PMI will continue to support our operation for the benefit of its members and the discipline as a whole. For continuing that relationship, PMJ welcomes Heather Ramsey, manager of academic programs for PMI, as the liaison between PMI and PMJ. We take this opportunity to thank Carla Messikomer for many years of strong support of our journal, while we also look forward to working with Heather on future challenges, including the integration with SAGE. Along with that, we wish to acknowledge the efforts of the PMI staff and management in facilitating knowledge advancement and the free exchange of ideas through the journal.

We are enthusiastic about the prospect for continued advancement. The partnership with SAGE, the new and continuing editors, and the sustained support from PMI provide a unique blend of talent, resources, and desire. Our vision is to continue the growth in quality and recognition admirably launched under the leadership of Hans Georg Gemünden. The content of PMJ will impact thought on the management of projects and influence research and practice through the development of a stronger theory for the project domain, in-depth consideration of critical and current topics through careful selection of special issues, and the dissemination of high-quality research.

For the new EiCs’ first issue, we have a collection of articles that fall into three distinct themes. The first two articles consider the contrasting topics of ethics and corruption. In the lead article, Mia Ljungblom and Thomas Taro Lennerfors investigate ethical traits held by project managers and future project managers. Isaac Sakyi Damoah, Cynthia A. Akwei, Isaac Odoro Amoako, and David Botchie consider the project and personal consequences when governmental stakeholders turn corrupt. The following two articles investigate difficulties in the interorganizational context. Alfons van Marrewijk examines change and resistance in the utility sector. Shuibo Zhang, Wenquin Wang, Yongqiang Chen, and Yu Wang focus on the complexities of construction contracts. The final three articles examine the critical impact of competence on projects. Steven Nijhuis, Joseph Kessels, and Ruben Vrijhoef dissect and frame the published research on competence. João Walter Saunders Pacheco do Vale, Marly Monteiro de Carvalho, and Breno Nunes compare the literature with job advertisements in Brazil to seek commonalities. In the final article in this issue, Aljaž Stare and Nika Gruden consider the behavioral skills and their significance in attaining efficiency in projects.

We are certain that many of you are wondering about us, the new EiCs. In brief, both of us served on the recent PMJ Editorial Board and in substantial roles for other academic journals. We have extensive experience in project management as practitioners, consultants, professors, and researchers. We are committed to the future of the journal and believe we have the partners and pieces in place to achieve our goals. So, please send us your research manuscripts—our editorial and production teams are eager to help you develop and clarify your ideas, polish your presentation, and provide a visible platform. We look forward to working with you!