I am interested in PhD research projects in the area of project management in general and more specifically in the psycho-social and relational aspects of project management. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss an idea.

Dr Christine Unterhitzenberger (BEng, MEng, MAPM, SFHEA) is a Senior Teaching Fellow in Project Management at the Department of Management Science at Lancaster University Management School (LUMS). Furthermore, she is a member of the Research Advisory Group for the Association for Project Management (APM), a Department Editor for the Project Management Journal (PMJ), the Communications Officer for the Project Organising SIG at the European Academy (EURAM) and the Treasurer for the Operations Management SIG at the Britisch Academy of Management (BAM). 

She has taught on different under- and postgraduate programmes various project management modules as well as research methods. She has extensive experience in teaching on doctoral programmes having been the programme leader for a DBA programme. Furthermore, she has an expertise in developing executives through executive education and MBA programmes.  Currently she is teaching on the MSc in Project Management and the MSCI390 Capstone Module. 

Her research is focused on relational and psycho-social aspects in projects and temporary multi organisations. She is particularly interested in how a better understanding and an increased awareness of psycho-social relationships can enhance the project performance. This includes topics such as organisational justice and dealing as well as coping with difficult stakeholders. In the past she has successfully secured a funding in this area from the EU in the context of the Marie Sklodowska Curie Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) as well as from the Association for Project Management (APM) in the UK.

For her research on fair project governance undertaken in collaboration with Merck KGaA, Darmstad, Germany, she has been awared a £8,000 ESRC Impact Acceleration Account grant in July 2019 to make use of the full potential of the research and create a pathway to impact. 

Prior to her academic career she has worked for almost ten years as a project manager in the construction industry. She was responsible for the project management of various large scale construction projects with a total value of more than £500 million. During her professional career she covered the whole life cycle of projects from the initial feasibility study to the final handover and implementation. Her clients were public bodies and private organisations.

Member of the Professional Standards and Knowledge Committee - Association for Project Management (https://www.apm.org.uk/about-us/how-apm-is-run/apm-committees/)

Member of the Research Advisory Group - Association for Project Management (https://www.apm.org.uk/about-us/research/)

Department Editor - Project Management Journal (https://journals.sagepub.com/home/pmx)

Communications Officer - Project Organising SIG, European Academy of Management

Treasurer - Operations, Supply Chain and Logistics SIG, British Academy of Management (https://www.bam.ac.uk/sigs-operations-logistics-and-supply-chain-management)