Mapping the human side of projects: Global scientometric insights into communication, leadership, and stakeholder engagement (2005–2025)

Abstract

The success of project management is contingent upon the development of essential competencies, including communication, management, leadership, team coordination, and stakeholder management. However, the possession of these skills alone does not guarantee the achievement of project objectives. In this context, this study performs a scientometric analysis of scientific production published between 2005 and 2025 to identify the main trends and theoretical contributions to these skills. The findings indicate a sustained growth in scientific production, with an overall annual growth rate of (−3.28%), signifying an increase of 59.45% between 2005 and 2009 and a consolidation of the field between 2010 and 2017 (+24.62%). The International Journal of Project Management was the Q1 journal with the highest number of publications and impact, followed by Sustainability (Switzerland) and Project Management Journal. With respect to the most prolific authors, Dr. Diana Mesquita and Rui M. Lima are at the forefront, each having published four scholarly articles. Notably, Liu Bingsheng S. has garnered the highest number of citations, with a total of 116, indicating a significant impact on the academic community. The findings indicate that effective communication and collaborative leadership are pivotal factors in the success of projects, and that their strategic development within organizations significantly increases the probability of achieving successful results.