The Experiences of Project Leaders with Project Retrospective and Planning Processes: A Case Stud

This study examines the experience of project leaders using retrospective and planning processes within an organization's knowledge transfer culture. The qualitative case study uses multiple data sources including project leader interviews, corporation policies, and project reports. Multiple data sources allow triangulation in describing the experiences of projects leaders transferring knowledge while conducting planning and retrospective processes. The study data indicate that employee engagement is essential for knowledge transfer and that organization policies contribute to how processes are used. Project leaders represent the locus for organizational learning and knowledge transfer through projects and processes. The use of retrospective processes, including lessons learned, is impacted by the accessibility of knowledge repositories. The study data discusses the organization's effort to enhance its knowledge repositories. The data reveals that when project leaders use retrospective process during planning, there is an indirect link to enhanced project performance. The study amplifies extant research literature, while presenting findings unique to the organization studied. The four major themes emerging from the case study include engaged employee facilitate knowledge transfer, retrospective data are unsystematically collected and used, repositories are difficult to navigate, and communications enable planning. The study findings highlight that organizational management does not evaluate project leaders on their use of retrospective processes. The study suggests that that project leaders are not attached to a specific planning approach. Implications from this case study reveal that the employee to knowledge transfer relationship can be reinforced through leadership engagement and organization policy. These findings may provide insights for an organization's knowledge transfer, process improvement, training, and leadership development initiatives.