Eggleton, David (2018) The limitations of the conceptual framework of the heterogeneous engineer for leadership in megascience projects. Working Paper. SPRU, Brighton.

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Abstract

The concept of the ‘heterogeneous engineer’, devised by Krige (2001) offers the intriguing possibility of applying a concept devised in the history of science literature to the academic study of leadership. This study sought to use the heterogeneous engineer as a conceptual framework to develop wider leadership theory. Two case studies were selected – the Tevatron at Fermilab in the United States and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN on the Franco-Swiss border. The LHC was of particular interest because Carlo Rubbia, identified by Krige (2001) as a classic heterogeneous engineer, played a leading role in its conception. However, the results of this study indicate that Carlo Rubbia is a relative anomaly within the context of scientific leadership and therefore the heterogeneous engineer is an inappropriate construct for the development of wider leadership theory. The paper also identifies and describes the generalised characteristics of leaders in megascience projects as a starting point for future work in this field.

Item Type:	Reports and working papers (Working Paper)
Keywords:	Megaprojects, big science, leadership, project management, research infrastructure
Schools and Departments:	University of Sussex Business School > SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit
SWORD Depositor:	Mx Elements Account
Depositing User:	Mx Elements Account
Date Deposited:	09 May 2022 16:24
Last Modified:	09 May 2022 16:24
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/105783

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