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Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero is an Electrical engineering who holds a PhD in Industrial Management from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM). She has been experienced in international engineering projects and currently works as an assistant professor of Engineering Projects, and Project Management at UPM. She is a member of the Project Management and Quality Research Group, and a member of the international development group Production, Management, and Development. The research fields of interest to her are Risk Management and skills development in multicultural environments and international development projects.
The COVID-19 crisis has taken the world by surprise, and its effects are widening pre-existing inequalities such as socioeconomical, educational, and digital divides. The gender gap is no exception, and research shows that lockdowns are strongly impacting women, who, on the whole, are more vulnerable to the effects of a crisis. This study analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in Spain on families, from a gender perspective. To this end, 663 participants related to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields were recruited to participate in the research through their connection with the Equality Office of the major technical university of Spain, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, which offers most engineering and architecture degrees. The results indicate that the great myths of gender inequality are still alive in Spain, and that a crisis of this nature can perpetuate them. However, the crisis also presents an opportunity for change. Will the STEM careers be prepared to take advantage of this opportunity, or will this crisis end up perpetuating their markedly masculine character? Are we ready for a revolution? The COVID-19 crisis and its learnings about the importance of care can open the path to change.
Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero; Susana Yáñez; Celia Fernández-Aller; Ruth Carrasco-Gallego. Is It Time for a Revolution in Work‒Life Balance? Reflections from Spain. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9563 .
AMA StyleRocío Rodríguez-Rivero, Susana Yáñez, Celia Fernández-Aller, Ruth Carrasco-Gallego. Is It Time for a Revolution in Work‒Life Balance? Reflections from Spain. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (22):9563.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRocío Rodríguez-Rivero; Susana Yáñez; Celia Fernández-Aller; Ruth Carrasco-Gallego. 2020. "Is It Time for a Revolution in Work‒Life Balance? Reflections from Spain." Sustainability 12, no. 22: 9563.
This paper presents the results of the first part of the Tools for Enhancing and Assessing the Value of International Experience for Engineers (TA VIE) project, launched in 2018, and outlines a contemporary understanding of global competence for engineers, as understood by European engineering companies. Striving to make engineering education more comprehensively aligned to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and thereby meeting demands from industry and society, the notion of “global competence” has attracted more and more attention from engineering schools. While there is no universally agreed on definition of global competence, the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) definition, which explicitly combines global awareness and intercultural communication competence with sustainability efforts, seems potentially well positioned to inform higher education institutions’ (HEI) global competence education. This is perhaps especially so when it comes to international student mobility, an area which is regularly seen as an important means to enhance global competence while all too often being assessed not in terms of qualitative student development, but in terms of structural indicators. However, in order to assess and improve curricula and mobility programs, the desired learning outcomes must first be specified. Based on research in five European countries (Spain, Italy, Sweden, France and Hungary), this paper details the understanding, requirements and perceived skill gaps of companies hiring engineering graduates, a first step towards improved and assessable global competence education for engineering students.
Isabel Ortiz-Marcos; Valeria Breuker; Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero; Björn Kjellgren; Frédéric Dorel; Marco Toffolon; Diego Uribe; Virna Eccli. A Framework of Global Competence for Engineers: The Need for a Sustainable World. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9568 .
AMA StyleIsabel Ortiz-Marcos, Valeria Breuker, Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero, Björn Kjellgren, Frédéric Dorel, Marco Toffolon, Diego Uribe, Virna Eccli. A Framework of Global Competence for Engineers: The Need for a Sustainable World. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (22):9568.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIsabel Ortiz-Marcos; Valeria Breuker; Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero; Björn Kjellgren; Frédéric Dorel; Marco Toffolon; Diego Uribe; Virna Eccli. 2020. "A Framework of Global Competence for Engineers: The Need for a Sustainable World." Sustainability 12, no. 22: 9568.
International Development (ID), which is often questioned for its lack of effectiveness, is a specific sector in the application of Project Management (PM) in relation to the use of projects that are undertaken to generate changes. In this case, ID seeks to have an impact on living standards of the most vulnerable groups of the population. This study reveals, by an extensive review of the most pertinent literature, the particularities and complexities of ID projects. It initiates the debate on the convenience of adapting existing tools in PM that are broadly used in, and familiar to, the industrial sector (PMI, Prince or any other) to Cooperation, or the need to improve those tools that are already in place, mainly the Logical Framework Approach (LFA), or even to design new alternatives. Due to the respect owed to a tool that has been used for nearly five decades, this research studies the development and evolution of LFA from its origins to the latest presentations, including its strengths and limitations. The proposals to improve LFA, as a result of these investigations, are re-examined in cooperation with professionals, whose valuable opinions on the matter facilitate an increase in efficiency level in ID.
R. Rodríguez-Rivero; I. Ortiz-Marcos; L. Ballesteros-Sánchez; J. Mazorra; M. J. Sánchez-Naranjo. The Logical Framework Approach, Does Its History Guarantee Its Future? Lecture Notes in Management and Industrial Engineering 2020, 491 -501.
AMA StyleR. Rodríguez-Rivero, I. Ortiz-Marcos, L. Ballesteros-Sánchez, J. Mazorra, M. J. Sánchez-Naranjo. The Logical Framework Approach, Does Its History Guarantee Its Future? Lecture Notes in Management and Industrial Engineering. 2020; ():491-501.
Chicago/Turabian StyleR. Rodríguez-Rivero; I. Ortiz-Marcos; L. Ballesteros-Sánchez; J. Mazorra; M. J. Sánchez-Naranjo. 2020. "The Logical Framework Approach, Does Its History Guarantee Its Future?" Lecture Notes in Management and Industrial Engineering , no. : 491-501.
The aim of this research is to help improve the effectiveness of international development projects (IDPs) with a focus on enhancing their success. For this purpose, this work seeks to identify links between the management of risks among five projects executed in Cauca (Colombia) and the success of these projects in terms of project management and impacts on the beneficiary communities. An analysis of these projects reveals the most critical risks encountered and the relationships between the management of those risks and the success of the projects. The use of fuzzy logic through the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) program is key to performing this difficult task. The results of a qualitative study reveal that the most important risks correspond to economic, cultural, and political factors. A quantitative analysis by fsQCA shows a direct relationship between the management of cultural differences and the positive impacts of IDPs on the beneficiary communities.
Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero; Isabel Ortiz-Marcos; Javier Romero; Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez. Finding the Links between Risk Management and Project Success: Evidence from International Development Projects in Colombia. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9294 .
AMA StyleRocío Rodríguez-Rivero, Isabel Ortiz-Marcos, Javier Romero, Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez. Finding the Links between Risk Management and Project Success: Evidence from International Development Projects in Colombia. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (21):9294.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRocío Rodríguez-Rivero; Isabel Ortiz-Marcos; Javier Romero; Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez. 2020. "Finding the Links between Risk Management and Project Success: Evidence from International Development Projects in Colombia." Sustainability 12, no. 21: 9294.
Business globalization causes all project managers, sooner or later, to face the challenge of understanding cultural differences. Identifying the risks associated with these differences has become an essential task today when discussing international projects. This paper shows how to improve the management of projects carried out in China by Spanish organizations, identifying risks related to differences between societies. To determine this set of risks, the cultural dimensions of Hofstede and Meyer were analyzed for the case of China and Spain, as well as the most critical values of the World Value Survey between both cultures. From there, and thanks to work done with a focus group formed of 29 Spanish project managers who are experienced in working in projects developed in China, risks were identified and classified into categories considering cultural dimensions. The results obtained show a record of risks of great interest for organizations working in international contexts, mainly in China. They reveal, in addition, the importance of considering this type of risks related to cultural differences, which have rarely been treated before.
Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero; Isabel Ortiz-Marcos; Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez; Xabier Martínez-Beneitez. Identifying Risks for Better Project Management between Two Different Cultures: The Chinese and the Spanish. Sustainability 2020, 12, 7588 .
AMA StyleRocío Rodríguez-Rivero, Isabel Ortiz-Marcos, Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez, Xabier Martínez-Beneitez. Identifying Risks for Better Project Management between Two Different Cultures: The Chinese and the Spanish. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (18):7588.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRocío Rodríguez-Rivero; Isabel Ortiz-Marcos; Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez; Xabier Martínez-Beneitez. 2020. "Identifying Risks for Better Project Management between Two Different Cultures: The Chinese and the Spanish." Sustainability 12, no. 18: 7588.
This work-in-progress paper presents a newly launched EU-project, TA VIE: Tools for Enhancing and Assessing the Value of International Experience for Engineers. The project is a three-year collaboration between technical faculty at universities in Spain, France, Italy, Hungary and Sweden, with associate partners representing industry, consultants, educational organizations and student bodies. As a rationale for the project lies a recognition of two facts: the ever-increasing need for global competence among engineering graduates and professionals, and the still overwhelming reliance on structural indicators to gauge internationalization, as opposed to means to objectively and reliably measure qualitative outcomes of internationalization and learning activities for global competence. The project has four specific objectives: 1. To identify the global competence (knowledge, skills and attitudes) needed by engineers. 2. To develop a robust toolkit with which institutions of higher education, companies and organizations can assess individual global competence, and so also measure the effect and effectiveness of training and international mobility. 3. Develop innovative and effective teaching and training strategies for students in higher education, focusing on curriculum design and making better use of the many already existing opportunities for embedded mobility and collaboration. 4. Develop strategies and ways of valorizing the competence of engineers with global competence, to promote employability. The project’s rationale and specific objectives may seem straightforward and in line with international educational trends of the last decades, however, while primarily aimed at introducing the project, the paper also wishes to problematize it. The project is situated within a very specific EU context. Questions are raised about what understanding of the rationale and objectives the project partners, coming from countries with significant political and socioeconomic differences, bring to the project. If global competency for engineers is indeed the ability to “work effectively with people who define problems differently”, the project would seem to have, as its very first challenge, to find ways of making the collaboration and its objectives meaningful both at the local, national and EU levels.
Bjorn Kjellgren; Isabel Ortiz Marcos; Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez; Rocio Rodriguez-Rivero. TA VIE: Global Competence Eurostyle. 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleBjorn Kjellgren, Isabel Ortiz Marcos, Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez, Rocio Rodriguez-Rivero. TA VIE: Global Competence Eurostyle. 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings. 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBjorn Kjellgren; Isabel Ortiz Marcos; Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez; Rocio Rodriguez-Rivero. 2020. "TA VIE: Global Competence Eurostyle." 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings , no. : 1.
International development projects face uncertainty challenges more often than other projects. The strategic prospective approach is based on understanding the future and accepting uncertainties. This theory is presented as an appropriate methodology for this type of projects. This study presents the case study of a development project designed and executed according to this discipline. The project involved implementing an innovative model of higher technical education and employability for low-income young people in the Department of Cauca (Colombia). The results show that despite the region's circumstances and the overall context, future problems were identified in advance, and this had a positive impact on the project. From international development, project management can learn flexibility to deal with the uncertainty and participative processes required for managing stakeholders, and the strategic prospective approach can be a good alliance in this challenge.
Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero; Isabel Ortiz-Marcos; Virginia Díaz-Barcos; Sergio Andrés Lozano. Applying the strategic prospective approach to project management in a development project in Colombia. International Journal of Project Management 2020, 38, 534 -547.
AMA StyleRocío Rodríguez-Rivero, Isabel Ortiz-Marcos, Virginia Díaz-Barcos, Sergio Andrés Lozano. Applying the strategic prospective approach to project management in a development project in Colombia. International Journal of Project Management. 2020; 38 (8):534-547.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRocío Rodríguez-Rivero; Isabel Ortiz-Marcos; Virginia Díaz-Barcos; Sergio Andrés Lozano. 2020. "Applying the strategic prospective approach to project management in a development project in Colombia." International Journal of Project Management 38, no. 8: 534-547.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify and investigate the main challenges that project managers (PMs) face in the current projectification environment. Design/methodology/approach This research was conducted by means of semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The participants in the study were 15 PMs and 57 project team members. A content analysis of the data was conducted by an inductive approach to determine the strengths and weaknesses that the PMs and project team members perceived. Findings The research reveals interesting insights, such as the identification of emerging challenges for the PMs of today, which include dealing with communications issues, motivating project team members, providing leadership and increasing team members’ emotional management and confidence. Research limitations/implications The main limitation is the size and location of the sample, which represents the points of view of 15 Spanish PMs and the members of their work teams and sets aside the cultural aspects. Originality/value This new era is changing how organizations and managers must deal with people management, evolving toward more flexible and engaging leadership styles. This paper helps to provide new insights concerning the emerging challenges and needs of PMs, while integrating team member’s perceptions.
Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez; Isabel Ortiz-Marcos; Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero. The project managers’ challenges in a projectification environment. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business 2019, 12, 522 -544.
AMA StyleLuis Ballesteros-Sánchez, Isabel Ortiz-Marcos, Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero. The project managers’ challenges in a projectification environment. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business. 2019; 12 (3):522-544.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuis Ballesteros-Sánchez; Isabel Ortiz-Marcos; Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero. 2019. "The project managers’ challenges in a projectification environment." International Journal of Managing Projects in Business 12, no. 3: 522-544.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the quintessential methodology of the international development (ID) projects, the logical framework approach (LFA), to find out which changes are required to increase the level of effectiveness of these projects. Design/methodology/approach This research presents a thorough review of literature relating to the evolution of the LFA. This theoretical analysis formed the basis for a closed-ended questionnaire on the methodology and how it could be improved, from which the responses of 56 project managers experienced in the LFA were collected. Data were statistically analyzed through correlation matrix and ANOVA analysis by SPSS software. The questionnaire included a last open-ended question where professionals suggested how they would develop the methodology, opening a new path to effectiveness through participative approaches. Findings The research reveals that the LFA needs to be improved, and points to the next steps in the evolution of this mature methodology. An interesting insight is that although some suggestions are broadly accepted, such as the integration of risk management, other proposals could be open to further discussion depending on the organization. Research limitations/implications The main weakness is related to the sample, which is reduced to 56 project managers from the same country (Spain). Originality/value Since interventions for development are made by practitioners, considering their suggestions to improve the LFA is a major step to enhance the management of ID projects.
Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero; Isabel Ortiz-Marcos; Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez; María Jesús Sánchez. Improving the management of international development projects. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business 2019, 14, 253 -269.
AMA StyleRocío Rodríguez-Rivero, Isabel Ortiz-Marcos, Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez, María Jesús Sánchez. Improving the management of international development projects. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business. 2019; 14 (2):253-269.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRocío Rodríguez-Rivero; Isabel Ortiz-Marcos; Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez; María Jesús Sánchez. 2019. "Improving the management of international development projects." International Journal of Managing Projects in Business 14, no. 2: 253-269.
Personal competencies have been shown to be increasingly reliable predictors of successful project managers. This research studies whether executive coaching is effective in strengthening personal competencies in the project management field. An experiment with 30 project managers and 30 observers has been conducted to determine, by means of a quantitative and qualitative approach, the impact of coaching on different competencies based on the Project Manager Competency Development Framework – Third Edition (Project Management Institute, 2017a). The conclusions reveal interesting insights, such as the finding that executive coaching has the greatest impact on behaviors related to leading, managing, and finding strategies for coping with challenging situations.
Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez; Isabel Ortiz-Marcos; Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero. The Impact of Executive Coaching on Project Managers’ Personal Competencies. Project Management Journal 2019, 50, 306 -321.
AMA StyleLuis Ballesteros-Sánchez, Isabel Ortiz-Marcos, Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero. The Impact of Executive Coaching on Project Managers’ Personal Competencies. Project Management Journal. 2019; 50 (3):306-321.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuis Ballesteros-Sánchez; Isabel Ortiz-Marcos; Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero. 2019. "The Impact of Executive Coaching on Project Managers’ Personal Competencies." Project Management Journal 50, no. 3: 306-321.
Many projects are currently conducted in international businesses in which cultural issues play an important role. In‐depth analysis of the risks associated with the unknown of this type of issues offers companies a better understanding of how to focus their marketing tools to be more effective, and provides project managers with strategies to improve customer relationships. Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions and Meyer's Culture Map have demonstrated that every society possesses distinguishing features. These cultural theories serve as foundation for including the category of culture in a proposed Cultural Risk Breakdown Structure. Through a literature review, risks associated with cultural differences are identified in projects executed in Africa, China, and the Middle East. By linking these risks to cultural dimensions, it is possible to identify the psychological competences framework in international businesses. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to create not only a comprehensive record of these risks but also a list of the new skills and competences that project managers must possess to improve client satisfaction and make decisions in a cross‐cultural environment. By considering the association between psychological aspects and cultural issues, this analysis will be of considerable benefit for improving relationships in international contexts.
Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero; Isabel Ortiz-Marcos; Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez; Javier Romero. The opportunity to improve psychological competences of project managers in international businesses. Psychology & Marketing 2018, 35, 150 -159.
AMA StyleRocío Rodríguez-Rivero, Isabel Ortiz-Marcos, Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez, Javier Romero. The opportunity to improve psychological competences of project managers in international businesses. Psychology & Marketing. 2018; 35 (2):150-159.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRocío Rodríguez-Rivero; Isabel Ortiz-Marcos; Luis Ballesteros-Sánchez; Javier Romero. 2018. "The opportunity to improve psychological competences of project managers in international businesses." Psychology & Marketing 35, no. 2: 150-159.
Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero. Project management training: An integrative approach for strengthening the soft skills of engineering students. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleRocío Rodríguez-Rivero. Project management training: An integrative approach for strengthening the soft skills of engineering students. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRocío Rodríguez-Rivero. 2021. "Project management training: An integrative approach for strengthening the soft skills of engineering students." , no. : 1.
Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero. Defining a new project-based learning model: Challenges in a new economic and social context. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleRocío Rodríguez-Rivero. Defining a new project-based learning model: Challenges in a new economic and social context. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRocío Rodríguez-Rivero. 2021. "Defining a new project-based learning model: Challenges in a new economic and social context." , no. : 1.