A three-dimensional view of competencies in project management: a systematic literature review

This paper aims to investigate how competencies are constituted in the context of PM. The research adopts a systematic literature review methodology, drawing on 161 articles indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The findings indicate that, although the three-dimensional structure of competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) is widely acknowledged in the PM literature, its application across the analysed studies remains inconsistent. The attitudinal dimension is often underexplored, implicitly addressed, or treated peripherally, despite its demonstrated relevance to performance in complex and dynamic project environments. The analysis further reveals that interpersonal competencies, typically classified as soft skills, are essential to project success. The attitudinal dimension emerges as a potential driver of dysfunction when not adequately integrated with knowledge and skills. The central challenge lies in developing mechanisms to observe, diagnose, and foster attitudes in a structured and systematic manner, alongside the other dimensions.