{"id":2959,"date":"2020-08-21T16:00:53","date_gmt":"2020-08-21T20:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/met\/?post_type=profile&#038;p=2959"},"modified":"2025-07-18T15:22:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T19:22:19","slug":"stephen-a-leybourne","status":"publish","type":"profile","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/met\/profile\/stephen-a-leybourne\/","title":{"rendered":"Stephen A. Leybourne"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Dr. Leybourne is director for student admission and chair of the Academic Policy &amp; Standards Committee in the Administrative Sciences department at Metropolitan College (MET), one of the largest schools within Boston University (BU). Dr. Leybourne arrived in Boston in January 2009 from the UK, where he had been teaching at Plymouth Business School in the southwest of England. At BU, he teaches both in the classroom and online (see his <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sleyb\/teaching\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">teaching<\/a> page for details of courses), and carries out research into the behavioral aspects of project-based management, with a particular emphasis on improvised work in the project domain. He is internationally acknowledged as an expert on improvised work in project management, and has presented at major international conferences and published widely on this subject. He has also presented keynote sessions on this subject at the 5th Brazilian PM Congress in 2010 in Brasilia and at the 2019 FuturePMO conference in London, among others. Prior to his academic career, he worked for over twenty years in banking and finance, with his later banking career focused on commercial mortgage financing to small and medium-sized businesses, and the project management of technical, cultural, and behavioral change. Professor Leybourne is an associate editor at\u00a0<em>Project Management Research &amp; Practice (<\/em>formerly <em>Organizational Project Management<\/em>), and is a member of the editorial board of the <em>Journal of Administrative Science &amp; Technology<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h2 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Courses<\/h2><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/p>\n<ul><div class=\"course-feed\"><\/p>\n<li>MET AD 740 \u2013 Planning and Operating New Ventures<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>MET AD 743 \u2013 Managing Employees, Professionals, and Teams<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>MET MG 503 \u2013 Business in a Changing Society<\/li>\n<p><\/div><\/ul>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h2 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Scholarly Works<\/h2><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>Appointments<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span>Member of the editorial board,\u00a0<em><a href=\"http:\/\/epress.lib.uts.edu.au\/journals\/index.php\/opm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Journal of Organisational Project Management<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>(May 2015).<a href=\"http:\/\/epress.lib.uts.edu.au\/journals\/index.php\/opm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Member of the editorial board, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/epress.lib.uts.edu.au\/journals\/index.php\/pppm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Journal of Project, Program &amp; Portfolio Management<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Publications<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cIt\u2019s All Up Here\u201d: Adaptation and Improvisation within the Modern Project.&#8221;\u00a0<em>International Journal of Project Organisation and Management<\/em>\u00a0(in press, 2016).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><span class=\"s2\">&#8220;<\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sleyb\/files\/2016\/09\/IJSCM-71-Paper-2-Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Emotionally Sustainable Change; Two Frameworks to Assist with Transition<\/a><span class=\"s1\"><span class=\"s2\">.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><em>International Journal of Strategic Change Management<\/em> 7, no. 1 (2016): 23\u201342.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Turner, N., Kutsch, E., and Leybourne, S. A. &#8220;<span class=\"s2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sleyb\/files\/2016\/09\/16-Turner-P7-Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rethinking Project Reliability using the Ambidexterity and Mindfulness Perspectives<\/a>.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><em>International Journal of Managing Projects in Business<b> <\/b><\/em>9, no. 4 (2016): 845-864.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1108\/IJMPB-08-2015-0074\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s2\">http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1108\/IJMPB-08-2015-0074<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Leybourne, S. A., and Cook, P. &#8220;<span class=\"s2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sleyb\/files\/2016\/09\/IJMCP90101_Leybourne-Cook-Published-version.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rockin All Over the World\u201d: Organisational Improvisation Lessons from the Music-based Practitioner<\/a>.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><em>International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy<\/em> 9, no. 1 (2015): 1\u201319.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Leybourne, S. A., and Kennedy, M. &#8220;<span class=\"s2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sleyb\/files\/2016\/09\/kpm1457-final-pdf.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Learning to Improvise, or Improvising to Learn: Knowledge Generation and \u2018Innovative Practice\u2019 in Project Environments<\/a>.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><em>Knowledge and Process Management<\/em> 22, no. 1 (2015): 1\u201310. \u00a0<span class=\"s2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/kpm.1457\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/kpm.1457<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Leybourne, S. A., and P. Sainter. &#8220;Advancing Project Management: Authenticating the Shift from Process to &#8216;Nuanced&#8217; Project-based Management in the Ambidextrous Organization.&#8221; <em>Project Management Journal <\/em>43, no. 6 (2012): 5-1<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSteve Leybourne\u2019s Reflections on David Hillson\u2019s Risk Doctor Briefing.\u201d <em>Journal of Project, Program, and Portfolio Management<\/em> (2011): 8\u20139.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSummary of Reflections on David Hillson\u2019s Risk Doctor Briefing.\u201d <em>Journal of Project, Program, and Portfolio Management<\/em> (2011): 1\u20132.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClassifying Improvisation: Comments on Managing Chaotic Evolution.\u201d <em>Proc. PMI Research and Education Conference 2010 <\/em>(Washington, D.C., July 2010).<\/p>\n<p>Unger, B., Greiman, V. A., and Leybourne. S. A. \u201cA Study of Postinvestment Monitoring Practices in Life Science Venture Capital Firms.\u201d <em>Journal of Transnational Management<\/em> 15 (2010): 3\u201325 (Best Paper Award, 18th World Business Congress, Tbilisi, Georgia).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProject Management and High Value Superyacht Projects: An Improvisational and Temporal Perspective.\u201d <em>Project Management Journal <\/em>41, no. 1 (March 2010): 17\u201327.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImprovisation as a Way of Dealing with Ambiguity and Complexity.\u201d <em>Graziadio Business Report<\/em> 13, no. 3 (2010).<\/p>\n<p>Leybourne, S. A., Badger, B., Lean, J., and Perry, J. \u201cTaking Over the Reins: the Needs of Individuals Who Purchase Small Established Enterprises.\u201d <em>International Journal of Entrepreneurship &amp; Innovation<\/em> 11, no. 1 (February 2010): 57-68.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImprovisation and Agile Project Management: A Comparative Consideration.\u201d<em>International Journal of Managing Projects in Business<\/em>\u00a02, no. 4 (2009):\u00a0519-535.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Changing Bias of Project Management Research: A Consideration of the Literatures and an Application of Extant Theory.\u201d <em>Project Management Journal <\/em>38, no. 1 (2007): 62-73.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImprovisation within Management: Oxymoron, Paradox, or Legitimate Way of Achieving?\u201d <em>International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy<\/em> 2, no. 3 (2007): 224-239.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cManaging Improvisation within Change Management: Lessons from UK Financial Services.\u201d <em>Service Industries Journal<\/em> 26, no. 1 (2006): 73-95.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cManaging Change by Abandoning Planning and Embracing Improvisation.\u201d <em>Journal of General Management<\/em> 31, no. 3 (2006): 11-29.<\/p>\n<p>Leybourne, S.A., and E. Sadler-Smith. \u201cGoing-with-your-Gut: The Role of Intuition and Improvisation in Project Management.\u201d <em>International Journal of Project Management<\/em> 24, no. 6 (2006): 483-92.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImprovisation within the Project Management of Strategic Change: Some Observations from UK Financial Services.\u201d <em>Journal of Change Management<\/em> 6, no. 4 (2006): 365-381.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Project Management of Change within UK Financial Services: What about Improvisation?\u201d In <em>Proceedings of PMI Research Conference 2002<\/em> (Newtown Square, Pa.: PMI, 2002), 343-351.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Conference Presentations<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Warburton, R. D. H., S. Leybourne, and V. Kanabar. \u201cThe Third Decade of Online Education: What have we learned.\u201d Paper presented at the 2011 Our Digital Renaissance Conference, Florence, Italy, November 10\u201312, 2011.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImprovisation and Project Management: What, When, and How.\u201d Paper selected for\u00a0 presentation at the PMI Global Congress 2011\u2013North America, Dallas\/Ft. Worth, Tex., October 22-25, 2011.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUsing Improvisational PM to Mitigate Risk: Is it Acceptable in a Highly-Controlled Environment and, if so, How do you Manage it?\u201d Clinical Project Management Forum of the Barnett Clinical Summit, Cambridge, Mass. October 5, 2011.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLost in Translation: Addressing Reviewers\u2019 Comments.\u201d Personal Development Workshop, Academy of Management, San Antonio, Tex., August 2011. Co-presented with Kennedy, M., Blackman, D., and Richardson, J.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEmotionally Sustainable Change: Two Frameworks to Assist With Transition.\u201d Personal Development Workshop, Academy of Management, San Antonio, Tex., August 2011.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImprovised Work within Projects: Shifting Away from the Traditional Project Paradigm.\u201d Presentation at the PMI Mass Bay Personal Development Day, February 4, 2011.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImprovisation and Project Management.\u201d Keynote address, 5th Brazil National Project Management Congress, Brasilia, Brazil, October 28, 2010.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProject Management and High Value Superyacht Projects: An Improvisational and Temporal Perspective.\u201d Presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Anaheim, Calif., August 8-13, 2008.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImprovisation and Agile Project Management: A Merging of Two Ideals?\u201d Presented at the PMI Research Conference, Warsaw, Poland, July 13-16, 2008.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTransformation and Change in the UK Financial Sector: Equipping Employees to cope with Change.\u201d Presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pa., August 3-8, 2007.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCulture and Organizational Improvisation: Some Conceptions Informed by UK Financial Services.\u201d Presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Ga., August 11-16, 2006. Winner of the Rupert F. Chisholm \u201cBest Theory to Practice\u201d paper award.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Changing Bias of Project Management Research: A Consideration of the Literatures and an Application of Extant Theory.\u201d Presented at the PMI Research Conference, Montreal, Canada, July 16-19, 2006.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImprovising within Management: Oxymoron, Paradox, or Legitimate Way of Achieving?\u201d Presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, August 5-10, 2005.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIntuition and Rationality in Project Decision-Making: Thoughts on the Impact on Improvisational Working Practices.\u201d Presented at the PMI Research Conference, London, UK, 2004.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cManaging Change or Changing Management: Abandoning Planning and Embracing People within Strategic Implementation.\u201d Presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, New Orleans, La., August 6-11, 2004.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cManaging Improvisation within the Management of Change: Some Lessons from UK Financial Services.\u201d Presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Seattle, Wash., August 1-6, 2003.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Project Management of Change within UK Financial Services: What about Improvisation?\u201d Presented at the PMI Research Conference, Seattle, Wash., July 14-17, 2002.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c2025: How will we make our way there, and what skills will we need to do it?\u201d Presented at the Institute of Management South Wales Branch. First place award, Millennial Management Paper. 2000.<\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<h4 style=\"margin: 0;\">What advice do you have for new students?<\/h4>\n<blockquote><p><em>A good degree or higher qualification from a recognized and credible academic institution is the starting point to a better career, and a more productive life. It is accepted that the world of work is changing, and becoming more competitive. A BU qualification is a major stepping stone to the benefits of being able to thrive and prosper in this changing environment. It is therefore worthwhile to apply yourself during your period at BU to maximize those advantages, which will influence the rest of your life.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"responsive-video\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Video introduction to professor Stephen A. Leybourne\" width=\"100%\" height=\"385\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CwyHKwAEROg\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":16254,"template":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/met\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile\/2959"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/met\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/met\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/profile"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/met\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16254"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/met\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile\/2959\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94929,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/met\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile\/2959\/revisions\/94929"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/met\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}