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

Authors: Rogério Gonçalves de Oliveira; Luciano Ferreira da Silva

Addresses: Nove de Julho University – UNINOVE, São Paulo, Brazil ' Nove de Julho University – UNINOVE, São Paulo, Brazil; American Institute of Applied Sciences (AUS), La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: competencies; project management; attitudes; knowledge; soft skills; hard skills.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPOM.2026.154442

International Journal of Project Organisation and Management, 2026 Vol.18 No.2, pp.205 - 231

Received: 31 Mar 2025
Accepted: 07 Nov 2025
Published online: 29 Jun 2026 *

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